SEATTLE — Braves quotes from Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran and Fredi Gonzalez after Wednesday’s 7-3 loss and completion of 0-8 trip.
**FREDI GONZALEZ
What will it take to get offense going?
“Well, we got 10 hits today. Obviously that’s not the column that you want to get 10 in; you want to first column (runs), that’s what counts. But we scored three there in the third and didn’t get a shutdown (inning) with one of our best pitchers on the mound. It just seems like everything … that was a big inning right there. To get a shutdown, that’s what we always talk about. That didn’t happen, gave the momentum right back to Seattle.
“And we just didn’t get anything going after that. Got some hits, got some people on base, B.J.’s ball, with a runner on first we’ve got a chance to get right back in it, (but) it’s a ground-rule double.”
On Teheran’s road struggles
“Sometimes you get those splits, you look down at those columns where it’s day/night, home/away, lefty/righty. You try to explain it, you try to justify it, but you really can’t. His last start on the road was in L.A. and he was about as good as you want him to be. So it’s just one of those things, I don’t even try to explain it.”
Wasn’t a grip thing today, then?
“No, I don’t think so. I think he just missed some pitches, especially the three-run homer to Morrison. That was a big blow there. That was a big blow.”
Does having small margin for error weigh on your pitchers?
“I’m not sure. I like the approach we had today against (Chris) Young. We got some people on base, scored some runs. Going into the series we knew that their bullpen was pretty darn good and we didn’t want them to take the lead on us. They did today and they just kind of walked us out, everybody coming out of that bullpen shut us down.
“I told them after the game that we’re a better team than we’ve played on the road, and for them to get on this bird and get back home and start a winning streak.”
On eight-game losing streak making the upcoming homestand even bigger vs. three first-place teams
“We faced some pretty good teams on the road here, especially pitching wise. We’ve got to go back home and start winning series again. Big one to start off. We can’t worry about the next two, we’ve got a big series against Washington this weekend, and believe me we’re better than what we’ve played here in the last eight days.”
What does this team need to do to get better?
“Well, it’s timely hitting. Don’t give up the big number pitching-wise, but I think just get some timely hitting, get a ball to split a gap with people on base and score some runs.”
**FREDDIE FREEMAN
On taking lead and Julio not holding it long, another way to lose on rough trip
“Yeah, it’s hard to win when you only have one good inning. It was nice to see when we had some guys on we were able to get them in, but that wasn’t enough.”
On importance of 10-game homestand against Washington and two other first-place teams
“We can be really far out of it or be back in it this weekend. So we’ve got to take tomorrow off and, just like I said a couple of days ago, I guess regroup and come in with a sense of urgency on Friday.”
On Chris Young
“He’s a tough pitcher, especially in a day game. It’s tough to pick up with the sun coming off the batter’s eye, and he’s just so … it stays on the plane pretty much at your letters and you can’t get him down. He’s just one of those pitchers. We were able to get him out after five, but they’ve got a really good bullpen and they were able to shut us down.”
Been a tough go recently for you, good to get a few hits today…
“It’s been a tough go this whole season. Not even personally, it’s been up and down for us as a team. I get a couple of knocks, then I go 0-for the next 12 games, then get a couple of knocks. That’s just how it’s been this year. But you’ve got to keep grinding it out. We’ve still got six weeks left.”
Could you have ever envisioned an 0-8 trip?
“No, I don’t think you could ever imagine going winless on a road trip. But we’re not too far out of it, and again we’ve got a chance to get back into it this weekend. It’s going to be a long flight, but we’ll regroup, get some rest, and we’ve got to come out firing on Friday.”
**JASON HEYWARD
On Teheran blowing 3-1 lead in the next half-inning after the Braves got the lead
“It happens. Everybody is not going to have a shutdown inning every time. That’s what we needed there, but it didn’t happen. Everything has been a snowball effect for us. It just didn’t happen today.”
On scoring enough runs today to win a lot of games
“Absolutely. It’s just not matching up right now, it’s just not clicking on all cylinders at the same time for us. That’s going to hurt when teams are going up there putting up (good) at-bats, swinging the bat well. It’s tough to play catch-up. Today we did some good things at the plate. Julio just had an off day. That’s unfortunate. He got a little run support and usually he doesn’t need much.”
On still only being 3-4 games behind the Nationals
“It’s definitely a crucial point in the season, but nothing’s over yet. We’re going into August in the thick of it right now, and this month is going to say a lot about where we finish up.”
**JULIO TEHERAN
Just a matter of bad location today?
“I didn’t have my best location. Just tried to do my job and I wasn’t able to do it today, even after I got run support I wasn’t able to keep the lead.”
That the most frustrating thing, to get a lead and give it up?
“Yeah, sometimes it’s frustrating. I was trying to hold it and keep my team in the game, and I wasn’t able to do it.”
Any problems with the grip like you’ve had before on West Coast?
“No, I don’t have any problems anymore because I’ve been finding a way to do better with that. My location just wasn’t good today.”
On his struggles on the road compared to home
“I don’t know what to say about that. Sometimes at home you feel more comfortable because you have the fans and stuff. I try to do the same stuff at home and away, I don’t know why it happens.”
