Braves’ quotes after Sunday win against Nationals

FREDI GONZALEZ

On Hudson’s turnaround after first inning:

“The run they scored [in the first], he was still pitching well. It wasn’t like they hit the cover off the ball. His stuff was on today. He was sharp, his command was good. That was nice to see.”

On hitting the ball hard with better results:

“They fell in, and Prado and Gonzo, you can go on and on, I think everybody got multi-hits today, and even if they didn’t, they hit the ball hard at somebody. We did that with people on base and we were able to score some runs.”

On Prado getting balls to fall:

“Yesterday he went 0-for-5 with five bullets and today probably the softest ball he hit goes for a base hit. That’s how this game makes you want to jump off a cliff sometimes. Then he got a couple other [pitches] to hit.”

On Alex Gonzalez:

“Gonzo looks good. It was also nice to see Nate [McLouth] get that double, get him going a little bit. And Chipper is still Chipper and Mac is swinging the bat well. We go onto Milwaukee after winning two out of three here, hopefully we’ll win that series also.”

On if he said anything to Hudson about head-first slide:

“No. This guy is an athlete. This guy is a baseball player. He just happens to pitch. You know that from his bubble gum card when he was at Auburn. He runs the bases, he fields his position, he does everything you want him to do.”

On Jonny Venters getting work:

“Yeah, with [almost] everybody else it would have been going back-to-back.  Talking over with Roger [McDowell] … [Craig] Kimbrel will go through three days if we don’t use him tomorrow and we don’t want to do that with Venters also. Usually he’s pretty effective [when he doesn't get too much rest]. He threw 12 pitches today. He’s good to go for tomorrow.”

On if he held his breath when Hudson when head first:

“No, because I’ve seen him do it. I told him great heads up baserunning for him to look over his shoulder and see that ball get away and him score.”

On seeing a guy slide head first in a warm-up jacket:

“It’s him. You don’t want to make that a habit, but it was good. He’s a baseball player.”

On the interference call against Chipper:

“He [umpire] got the play right. I tell you what those guys got all the plays right, even the play at second base with [Jason] Heyward. Tim [Welke, umpire] was blocked off. He kind of ducked when the ball came over his head from [Ryan] Zimmerman and he didn’t see…. For me, Heyward beat it, he was there by far, and the kid dropped it. It was nice to see those guys get together and get the play right.

“On that obstruction play, I was just going out there because it’s a timing play. I said hey, he was out by 40 feet, he wouldn’t have scored anyway. [The umpire said] ‘No, he wasn’t out by 40 feet, it was only 10.’ It was a judgment play, and they got that play right also.”

On if Heyward got shaken up on play at second:

“Yeah I think he bumped his head on the guy’s knee and broke his glasses, but he’s fine.”

***MARTIN PRADO:

On shaking the bad luck, getting some hits to fall:

“I was going after it. Everything. During BP I was like, I’ve got a game in my mind. I’ve got to go after it. So I’m not going to think about whether they’re going to make a play. I’m just going to give everything I have. That’s what I did today.”

On if he took extra BP:

“Every day I do extra work. It’s not because I wasn’t hitting good but that gets your mind right in saying I’m trying everything to make everything change.”

On seeing everybody get hits in the lineup:

“I felt relieved because I know that this team can hit. We’ve got pretty good pitching. Hudson and Lowe and Tommy … need to get some run support. I want everybody here to give everything and people can see that, people can see our effort every single day….We’ve got to keep doing the little things, man on third, drive in the run. Bunt, and get ‘em over. That’s the only thing we can control.

“When games like today come, we’ll take it.”

On driving teammates crazy when he goes hitless:

“Yeah, it’s weird. When I go a couple games everybody starts walking around me like ‘Are you OK? We need you going it.’ I’m like, dude, I’m trying my best OK? Everybody starts worrying. I like it. That makes me feel like they’re worried about me, they want me to do good. That’s wonderful for me.”

***TIM HUDSON

Sliding in the jacket: “It’s padding. It gave me some padding for landing.”

Last time slid head-first? “I can’t remember, to be honest with you. This is the first time I’ve had a strawberry in a long time. Battle wound.” (on knee)

On having some fun today:

“Yeah, it was fun. A little exciting there in that first inning. First game, little adrenaline, wasn’t quite making some pitches that I wanted to make. But both of us, me and Zimmerman, settled in. He settled in to have some nice, quick innings himself.

“If they don’t make that error in the outfield, I don’t score and neither does Prado. So it’s a 1-1 game, and who knows what could have happened after that? We were able to get to the bullpen there at the end.”

On Prado

“He’s a catalyst that’s made us go for the last couple of years. He should probably have about seven or eight hits already. His first couple of games, they made some really good plays on him to take away some hits.

“He’s a great hitter. He’s one of our guys that if he goes, we go. He’s our Jimmy Rollins. When Jimmy Rollins is playing well for the Phillies, they seem to win. And I think that’s the same case for us.”

On Uggla’s defensive play:

“He made that diving play on Morse, that little bloop. It’s nice. I love when guys are in the game when I’m pitching. I try to keep ‘em as busy as I can, try not to throw many balls, try to keep as much action going behind me as I can. And I think they appreciate it.”

On the big double play that Pudge grounded into with none out in 2nd:

“That was the kind of the start of it, I think. Leadoff guy gets on base, Espinosa. I didn’t make a good pitch on him, he got a sinker up in the zone that was flat and got a base hit. And I was able to, maybe three or four pitches later, be out of the inning. A double play and another ground ball. It’s nice to get that, because there’s been time when innings that get started like that start snowballing.”

On getting a series win here:

“I can’t remember what our record here is the last 12 times, but it’s not very good. I think they probably have a winning record against us. For some reason, this is a tough place for us to come in and play. They play pretty good baseball against us when we’re here, and we feel good about taking two out of three. Obviously we would have liked to win all three games, but when you realize how tough it’s been to win here in the past, two out of three is always good.”

On retiring last 17 in a row:

“I started to get a good angle on my sinker. Staying back, not getting so excited, not rushing so much. Just doing a lot better job of staying down in the zone. That’s essentially it.”

Which was better, retiring last 17 in a row or scoring on the slide?

“Oh, I worked a walk, went first to third on a double and ended up scoring. No doubt. In fact, I’ve got to go get a bandage on my knee. I have a wound to show for it.”

***CHIPPER JONES

On Prado sparking offense

“It’s amazing what happens when the top of the lineup gets on base, isn’t it? Score a lot of runs. It’s pretty simple. You knew it was just a matter of time before those guys started to get it going. Today was the day, and it was a big time because it got us a series.”

On McLouth’s performance

“That’s what he’s been doing all spring. I mean, he’s swung the bat pretty good, and you just hope that he continues to do that out of the 2-hole, because you need to have his speed up in the top of the lineup. Because it just allows us to be able to manufacture runs.

“He’s a good bunter, so with Prado always on base, you’ve got the threat of the bunt, hit-and-run, double in the gap, hit for some power – really kind of gets the offense jump-started.”

On the obstructionon him when he collided with Werth in 1st inning

“Yeah, it’s just a flukey thing. I’m playing in the 5-hole with Rochy up. I took a step or two to my left, realized I couldn’t get it, then just broke to be the cutoff man, and he [Werth] was right there. It’s never happened to me before. I don’t know if it would have made a difference or not, but it’s interference.

“I felt bad there for a while, as close as the game was. Two outs, ball not hit all that hard, probably thinking he would have scored anyway. But you never like to have them given home plate.”

On last time he saw a pitcher slide head-first in the jacket:

“Never.”

Did you hold your breath?

“I was too busy laughing. It was hilarious.”

How would you critique the slide?

“Not bad…. not bad. He’s going to have to get a new jacket.”

***BRIAN McCANN

On offense clicking, finishing series with a win:

“It was huge. We found some holes today. Huddy pitched an unbelievable game. You need games like this early on in the season, where everybody in the lineup swings the bat well. That was good.”

On Hudson

“He was awesome today. His sinker was darting. After the first inning he really settled in with all his pitches. His split[-finger fastball] was awesome today. He kept them off balance and pitches like he usually does.”

On getting hits at top and bottom of order

“We feel confident in our lineup One through eight, we feel like we’ve got a lot of professional hitters that know how to work the counts and know how to drive the ball to all fields. You can’t really pitch around anybody.”

On Hudson’s head-first slide at home:

“Play of the year. If there’s a play that tops that… I don’t know if there will be all season long for us. That was awesome. He’s been wanting to do that for 10 years now.”

On Prado

“He’s one of the best hitters in the game, if not the best. We love him. There’s not a nicer swing in the game, and he’s just so consistent, day in and day out. He just continues to put up good at-bats. Can’t say enough about how good a baseball player he is.”