Archive for the ‘Buzz’ Category

FREDI GONZALEZ

On Hudson’s performance

“He was great. That’s what he is, a groundball machine. He did it today efficiently, too. Right at 100 pitches for 7-2/3 innings. He just couldn’t get Upton to make an out against him. But he was terrific.”

On crazy bases-loaded play that ended 8th inning

“That eighth inning was a little interesting. We bring in Jonny to get those left-handers, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen an inning in the major leagues end the way that inning ended, but we’ll take it. We won’t give it back.”

On getting Price’s pitch count over 120 in seven innings

“Especially our left-handers, Heyward had some great at-bats against him. And early on in the game we had some good at-bats, drove in two runs. He’s pretty stingy giving up runs. We got him out of there with the high pitch count. That’s a nice ball team they’ve got there. I know they’ve got some guys on the DL and they’re waiting to get healthy, but that’s a helluva pitching staff.”

On Ross coming through …

Continue reading Braves quotes after Sunday’s win over Rays »

**FREDI GONZALEZ

On Delgado’s performance

“The whole game, other than the first inning, it was like checking a gas tank with a match really. And it ended up getting him there in the third inning. Just fell behind hitters, walks – what did he have, five walks? – and then in that one inning he just gave up the grand slam, and pretty much that was it.”

You just view it was a young-pitcher situation, still learning?

“Yeah, when you’re dealing with a young kid, 21 or 22, making 12th, 15th start in the major leagues, there’s going to be times like this that have to be learning [experiences] for him, which I know it will be for him. And go back at ‘em.”

On Heyward’s strong throw to plate in 2nd inning

“That kept us in the game, all of a sudden we doubled up a guy when that could have been a big inning. Heyward had a terrific play, nice tag at the plate for Mac. You know, you felt like we were in the game the whole time. That’s why we made the decision in the fourth inning and said, …

Continue reading Braves quotes after Saturday loss to Rays »

***CHIPPER JONES

Upon showing reporters his badly swollen, bruised lower left leg, above ankle

“It’s pretty safe to say my career in Tampa is over.”

Just a bruise, a contusion?

“Yeah. I mean, I would be able to tell if it was broken. But, my gosh, that really hurt. Really.”

How’d you stay in the game four more innings?

“I stayed on it. I mean, if I sat down it was going to stiffen up. Finally there in about the seventh, I couldn’t move on defense. I told skipper, better get somebody in there that can move.”

That affect your at-bats tonight?

“Little hard to stay on the backside when you’ve got that breathing down your neck. It’s a shame, but not a lot you can do. If you’re standing 85 feet from home plate and somebody hits a rocket at you, you better get a glove on it. I didn’t.”

Not going to have an X-ray?

“You can tell it’s localized. It’s just a really, really bad bruise.”

On getting standing ovation when he came to bat first time

“Yeah, that was cool. Lot of Braves …

Continue reading Braves quotes after Friday’s win at Tampa Bay »

BRANDON BEACHY

On Gonzalez not needing to even ask how he felt about ninth:

“It means a lot. They’ve noticed what I’m trying to do and they’re giving me the opportunities. I really appreciate that.”

On wanting to go deeper in games:

“Yeah that’s about as deep as you can go. I was pretty pleased. It was fun.”

On what it feels like to walk off the mound, game over:

“I told Craig. Man, I’m jealous. You get to do this all the time. You get pumped up there in the last inning. That’s a lot of fun.”

On if had to talk his way back out there:

“No, they gave me the opportunity and I wasn’t about to say I didn’t want it.”

On if felt as strong as he looked in ninth:

“Yeah, I felt good. I was throwing my pitches down in the zone still. I made some good ones there, actually a backup slider to get the first guy so that wasn’t the best pitch but I’ll take the result all day.”

On the key to going deeper this year:

“I’ve been more aggressive. Even when I’m getting behind in the count, I’m not …

Continue reading Braves postgame quotes following 7-0 win vs. Marlins »

Vivlamore reporting from Turner Field with your Braves report.

The Braves will put Jason Heyward in center field again – but it won’t be for a while.

After his first ever action in center field at the major-league level, Heyward will once again make way for Michael Bourn.

“It was fun,” Heyward said of the assignment. “I feel I can play every position in the outfield. … The more I play, I’ll feel more comfortable. That was just to give Mike B a day off. We came in today, (Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez) was like ‘I’ll see you in another 30 days.’”

Heyward had three put outs. He broke back on one fly ball before racing in and making the catch. Gonzalez said he was pleased with Heyward’s defense in center.

“We have to do it,” Gonzalez said of giving Bourn a rest. “Bourn uses his legs. That’s his weapon, one of his top skills. We’ve got to give him a breather every once in a while.”

* Gonzalez said execution was the issue when the Braves allowed a double steal in the fifth inning …

Continue reading Heyward to return to center field – but not for a while »

MIKE MINOR

On what happened second time through:

“I gave up a couple hits, got out of rhythm, was making non-competitive pitches and they hit them.”

On if things compounded after a while:

“Yeah a little bit. I threw a curveball to (Bonifacio) on the groundball to Francisco….It could have been a big break for me if that was a double play and it went the other way. After that I gave up a couple more hits. It just kept on going. They kept getting more hits and runs. That’s what good teams do.”

On if felt any different second time through:

“I felt good the first time through and then the next time through I felt like my secondary pitches, I threw a lot in dirt, they weren’t even competitive right out of the hand, already too low to even bite at. I felt like I threw pretty much all my offspeed pitches the second time through just like that. It’s easy for them to sit back and wait on a good pitch and hit it, when I can’t throw anything over the plate that’s offspeed….and then my …

Continue reading Braves postgame quotes following Wednesday’s loss to Marlins »

Vivlamore reporting from Turner Field with your Braves report.

Brandon Beachy wasn’t on the mound, but the right-hander certainly benefited from the Braves victory Tuesday.

Reds starter Johnny Cueto led the major leagues in earned run average before the Braves touched him for five earned runs in four innings in a 6-2 victory. His ERA jumped to 1.89 and he is now fifth in the National League.

Now,  Beachy’s 1.60 mark leads all major-league pitchers. Former Brave Derek Lowe leads the American League with a 2.05 ERA.

Beachy (4-1) will start Thursday’s game against the Marlins’ Ricky Nolasco (4-1, 3.65). He shrugged off the fact his owns the top ERA in baseball. He knows he will face a tough challenge in the Marlins.

“They’ve got a good lineup,” Beachy said. “They’ve got speed and they’ve got power. They’ve got guys who can hurt you when you make mistakes. I just have to be as careful as I can while being as aggressive as I would like to be and have been. I’ve got to find a …

Continue reading Beachy leads majors with 1.60 ERA »

BRIAN MCCANN

On being a pretty good pitcher they dropped six on:

“We’re a pretty good offense. Everybody battles every at-bat, and tonight was no different. We got one of the hottest pitchers in the league tonight. We got him in trouble early. That’s always a good sign when you’re going against a No. 1 to get to him in the first three or four innings.”

On game plan vs. Cueto:

“He came out tonight throwing a lot of offspeed early in the game. He’s usually a fastball pitcher. Tonight he tried to establish his offspeed early and we had a good game plan for him. And when he gave us pitches to hit, we put them in play hard.”

On scoring runs for Hudson after Chicago:

“He’s our ace, and when he takes the mound we expect to win. He only needs a couple runs but it’s nice to give him a little breather where he can go to work and not have to be too fine with all his pitches.”

TIM HUDSON

On this start vs. Chicago:

“I felt like I had a little better sinker in Chicago. Tonight was a lot …

Continue reading Braves quotes after Tuesday’s win over Cincinnati »

**FREDI GONZALEZ

On having McCann, Chipper, Heyward up in 8th after getting 2 on w/ 1 out

“Chapman did a nice job wiggling out of that situation. We had some opportunities; I think the inning before we had some people on base also, and they got out of it.

“When Mac swung and that ball left the bat, I thought we had a chance. I guess it got too much air under it.”

See anything different from Venters during these recent rough outings?

“I haven’t seen the video, but I’m sure some of the balls that were hit, were fastballs that didn’t have any depth to them. That’s something that can be fixed real easily. We’ll keep running him out there. All of a sudden you see a 93-, 94-mph fastball that that bottom just disappears to it.

“It’s unfortunate that it happened with Jonny in the eighth inning, but it’s not worrying me either. We’ll keep running him out there. He’ll be just fine.”

On Pastornicky error, tossing ball to nobody at second base

“He just didn’t know the runners were running …

Continue reading Braves quotes after Monday loss to Reds »

FREDI GONZALEZ

On the sweep:

“We did a lot of good stuff this series. We pitched well, swung the bats well, timely hitting. Two-out base-hits was the story today, drove in some runs. You look at all three games there’s one big out, one big inning and today was no different. I think O’Flaherty’s 1 2/3 innings was big to get us through. Durbin had a big out also. And we were able to add on some runs.”

On Hanson:

“They were swinging at some stuff down in the strike zone, his fastball. It looked like it had some life. I know early on he had some command issues with his breaking pitches, but other than that, the sixth inning opens up with a solo home run and three balls hit pretty hard, at that point, let’s try to get these guys and piece it together to get through that inning. Again the offense keeps coming back and scoring add-on runs. It makes it a little easier on the bullpen.”

On Heyward’s two hits in the series being game-changers:

“That at-bat that he had, the three-run …

Continue reading Braves postgame quotes following Sunday’s win vs. Cards »