NEW YORK — Braves quotes from Freddie Freeman, Cameron Maybin and Fredi Gonzalez after Wednesday’s 6-3 win against the Mets.
**FREDDIE FREEMAN
Safe to say the wrist is feeling a little better?
“No, not safe to say that. The wrist has been bothering me for a couple of weeks now and it’s gotten progressively worse. It’ll be playing through pain for the next nine days, but it’s just, got to muster up and play through it. I told Skip (Fredi Gonzalez) before the game, if a big situation comes up I’ll go out there and hit. Obviously it came up in the seventh inning.”
Does that make it even more gratifying?
“It does. It’s been a frustrating season in all areas for this team, and for me personally it’s been injury-plagued, and it looks like it’s going to end injury-plagued. So to be able to come off the bench and help this team win, it’s definitely a good feeling.”
How does the wrist feel when you swing?
“It shoots into pain when I come in through zone because it’s my bottom hand. Going to have to probably go in there and see what’s going on with an MRI again, probably after the season. It’s just a lot of pain. Just one of those things that went away for about three weeks and came back, after I came back (from the DL). Just one of those things, I’m just going to have to keep battling through and try and manage it for the last week and a half.”
It still hurt even after you hit that homer and saw that ball flying out?
“Yeah, it still hurts. Everybody thought I hurt my back (stepping on second on the double), but it was my wrist that was in a lot of pain. That’s why I kind of bent over at second base after the double. I hope it’s manageable for the next nine games, because hopefully I can be out there for the last week and a half.”
“It’s not getting worse, that’s the thing. That’s the only thing good about this, that hopefully with treatment and some anti-inflammatories and maybe with a day off tomorrow, hopefully it’s going to be better and I can finish the nine games strong.”
Does it feel good to beat the Mets again like that, after struggling some against them most of this year?
“It doesn’t really matter who it’s against, it’s just been one of those year that hasn’t gone the way we all wanted it to go. But when you have a game like this and get down on the road, to be able to come back against a first-place team is definitely a good feeling, and it’s a nice, happy flight we’re going to have tonight.”
“It was a nice home run to put us up in a big situation.”
**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Freeman’s 5 RBIs off bench despite sore wrist
“We were just going to try to take it easy on him, give him two days, but obviously our training staff did a terrific job. Gave him enough time to get him warmed up when we had to use him. He did treatment in here all day, didn’t take batting practice, just hit off the tee in the cage before he came out in the seventh inning to pinch-hit.
“We’ll be on the plane thinking about this game, and Bobby Cox will be thinking about this because he always said, and he did it all the time, you give your No. 1 players off, and it’s almost better because you can put them in the game anytime you want. And we got lucky today, he came up with the bases loaded, and he came up again with two on, clutch situation.”
On Freeman’s long opposite-field homer
“That ball was hit. It was hit. It was against their No. 1 reliever, opposite field, it had to be 390. There’s not too many balls that go out in this ballpark in that area. He put two good swings on them.”
On Colon being in control much of the night
“Absolutely, and he didn’t throw a breaking ball. Commands fastball, the ball moves everywhere. He had us, had a perfect game going till the fifth or sixth inning. We didn’t put good swings on him but we were persistent, we got some people on, and we got the runs when we had to.”
On Perez getting out of some tight spots
“He’s a contact guy. I think what saved him today, he didn’t walk many people. He gave up six, seven hits, but he’s a ground-ball guy, he’s a guy that gets contact, which I’m good with that. First couple of innings, I thought it was going to be one of those games where we were going to use the whole bullpen just to get through this game. But he settled down. Our bullpen did a nice job of getting out of some jams, Jackson with the big punchout of Kelly Johnson, and Vizky (Vizcaino) to shut it down.”
On winning five of past six games
“I think the common denominator (is) our pitching’s been pretty darn good. It’s our bats, but our pitching has been pretty darn good to keep us in the ballgames.”
On Maybin’s catch of Cespedes drive near the CF wall
“That was a very athletic play there, because that ball just kept carrying.”
More on Freeman’s availability today
“I told you guys he was available. If we could give him a (day off), if today was 8-nothing in our favor, he wouldn’t have played. But he was available all night.”
On Edwin Jackson’s ability to adapt to role, how good that’s been for young pitchers to see
“And I tell you what, he’s a great teammate.”
**CAMERON MAYBIN
On making the running, twisting catch of Cespedes liner to the warning track in the 8th
“I was blessed with some long arms and was able to make a play.”
On team not getting frustrated when down 2-0 early and looking like Colon was going to dominate all night
“You play 27 outs for a reason. And we continue to fight, continue to battle, continue to pick each other up. Those are things that we’re looking to do going into 2016 and finishing this year right.”
On Freeman’s five RBIs in two at-bats off bench in seventh and ninth innings
“Unbelievable, man. What a day off the bench. That’s the kind of things that he’s capable of doing. That’s the reason why this organization signed him to a long-term deal, keep a guy like that. Whenever he has that going, we can do some special things.”
On winning the series against the Mets
“Not only winning this series, that’s two series in a row. That’s how we’re going to start this last road trip. So now, winning at home, winning here against a team that’s been playing such great baseball all year, I think we like our chances going to Miami, getting a day off, getting a chance to breathe, and coming back and trying to finish this road trip the right way. It’s always huge, no matter the record, you always want to finish strong.”
