PHILADELPHIA – The Braves got six strong innings from Mike Foltynewicz and provided him with four support runs including a Nick Markakis homer and Freddie Freeman’s RBI triple in a 4-1 win Saturday night at Philadelphia. Here’s some of what the Braves said about the game.
**NICK MARKAKIS
On Foltynewicz:
“He pitched great. He was attacking the zone. What’d he have, one or two walks? He did good, he pounded the zone and he kept us in the game. He did his part and our bullpen came in and did a good job.”
“We put ourselves in position to win the series tomorrow and that’s what we’re going to do, we’re going to look to come out and win a ballgame tomorrow.”
On team’s resilience, not having any significant losing streaks so far:
“Absolutely. We fight. We’re out there, everybody’s having great at-bats, guys are getting on and we’re getting big hits in big situations. And our bullpen has come in at the end of games and doing exactly what they want to do.”
“It’s still early, it’s April, and we’re excited. We’re trying to win as many ballgames as we can, give ourselves a chance to win series. And that’s what we’re doing.”
**MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ
On his performance
“Arm and body felt good. It’s kind of weird facing these guys for a third time, it’s just kind of a chess match. I just kind of read some swings and kept them off-balance. Looks like they were taking some pitches today and letting me throw some strikes. Got first-pitch strikes out ahead of them and they either rolled off or punched out once or twice there. So it was a great game, great defense and great bullpen.”
On having a good curveball from the outset
“Yeah, I told Flow (Tyler Flowers) it’s going to be one or the other tonight like it usually is. Couple of sliders here and there, but we kind of went with the curveball, getting ahead and a couple of put-away pitches there. We talked it about before the game, it’s fun to put together a game plan and execute it. It was a great win, we needed it.”
On having tough luck here in past, but not today
“To come in and get the win, have a good start instead of like the last one when I didn’t get (through) the fifth inning. I would’ve liked to get to the seventh today, but just a little precautionary stuff (after back tightened a bit). It was a long inning and raining, so we just took precautionary (measure). But next time I think we’ll get that seventh and third time through the order.”
Just a twinge in the back, a little tightness?
“Yeah, I felt it on the swing there (in the sixth inning) and just once pitching. It’s nothing. I usually get some soreness, being a little taller pitcher, and I had a little crazy end to my motion there, too. But it’s all good, going to make the next start easily, so nothing to worry about. Just get a little treatment on it, make sure nothng swells up or anything. Nothing to worry about.”
**BRIAN SNITKER
On Folty
“He was really good. Strong, throwing strikes, had everything going and was just really on the attack. Kept the ball down and moved the ball around. It was just really a solid outing. And he got some (support) runs. That was good. And it’s good to see him go out there and kind of nail it down after he got the runs.”
On Dan Winkler getting two strikeouts of Rhys Hoskins and Nick Williams in eighth inning after entering with two on (Minter’s two walks)
“That was huge right there. I don’t know that you have a perfect matchup for that guy (Hoskins) in your bullpen because he’s such a good hitter, so those are two big outs right there because those two guys are both dangerous.”
Markakis gets overshadowed but he nearly had two homers tonight and is off to a strong start (1-for-2 with homer and three walks tonight)
“Earlier in the game that second one (fly-out to warning track in ninth) was probably a homer because he clocked that thing. He’s been swinging the bat really well for a long time now.”
On catcher Tyler Flowers’ return to lineup
“I can tell he’s a little rusty, but he just brings that veteran presence. Him and (fellow veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki), they prepare. When both of those guys are back there, our pitchers are really confident throwing with them, because they know how prepared they are. It makes them feel good because they trust both those guys so much.”
On Folty having some discomfort, getting checked by Snitker and trainer in sixth inning and coming out after the inning
“He grabbed his back after he threw a pitch. We went out, he said, ‘I’m fine.’ He came in and it was a little tight, so I wasn’t going to let him sit there for three outs and then go back out there. But he’s fine. We’ll treat him and get him ready for the next start.”
On Odubel Herrera’s spectacular catch over the center-field wall, his glove going in the bushes beyond it as he robbed Freddie Freeman of a homer
“He’s a talented player, man. I’ve seen him make a lot of really good catches. That looked like an Ender (Inciarte) catch right there. To go in the bushes is good in and of itself, to bring the ball out. The focus that it takes on an outfielder to make that catch is phenomenal.”
On scoring some runs early against Phillies starter Nick Pivetta
“It’s always key. Like last night, we got a little something going off (Aaron) Nola early. You kind of want to get those guys early. But Pivetta’s a good-looking young pitcher, man.”
On avoiding any significant losing streaks so far:
“It’s good, they’re resilient, they come and they take each day separately and they prepare. I keep telling them the only thing that we can control is today. Don’t worry about yesterday and tomorrow’s way in the distance, so we just kind of focus on today. And they do a really good job of doing that.”
On facing the Phillies so much early
“It’s a little different. I mean, they’ve got one more time back at our place and they’re done (playing in Atlanta). So that’s a little different. And they’ve all been tough games, too. Exciting, well-played games. They’ve been fun games. It’s two nice, really talented young teams going at it, and they’ve been some good games.”
On Nick Markakis’ fast start
“His whole spring. The shape he came in, and he had a really good spring. He’s a driven athlete. I mean, he is just such a prove, and just driven every day to do whatever he can to beat you. I mean, he never lets off the pedal. He’s driven every day to come out and do exactly that.”
