Medlen apologizes to Fredi for critical comments
Following loss, starter voiced displeasure about being taken out in seventh
ST. LOUIS -- When he returned to Busch Stadium on Saturday, Kris Medlen apologized to Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez for the heat-of-the-moment comments he made to reporters regarding his removal during the seventh inning of Friday night's 3-1 loss to the Cardinals.
"I'm a competitor and I want to be out there," Medlen said. "That's all I really told [Gonzalez] I was trying to say. ... It wasn't a big deal. He said whatever he said and it's done. It's not a distraction or anything. It was just me venting to the wrong people."
Gonzalez said this issue ended when he and Medlen shared their brief discussion Saturday afternoon. But he chose not to elaborate on the situation, which would have been a non-issue had Medlen not issued his critical comments in unsolicited fashion approximately 45 minutes after exiting the game.
"It's fine," Gonzalez said. "I don't even want to talk about it."
After Medlen surrendered a double and single to put runners on the corners with no outs and the Cardinals leading 2-1 in the seventh, Gonzalez called for Scott Downs to come out of the bullpen. It was seemingly a decision that most managers would have made in that same situation.
But Medlen made it known that he felt he should have been given a chance to clean up the mess he had created.
"I got taken out with 78 pitches," Medlen said Friday night. "I was just starting to have to battle. I didn't have to battle yet. But I wasn't given the opportunity. I guess I'm voicing the fact that I didn't appreciate that. I don't know what kind of mentality we're trying to create for our starters. But I feel like I should be able to work out of some jams."
Medlen altered his tune when he explained his comments on Saturday.
"I didn't give myself that five-minute cool-down period after a start to where I could really think about everything," Medlen said. "Obviously I wanted to stay in the game. There is something wrong with you if you don't want to stay in the game, whatever the situation is. But I was in a situation where I didn't have much leeway."
Gonzalez certainly had reason to believe Medlen might be fading. Nine of the 14 earned runs the right-handed pitcher had allowed in his previous five starts scored after he had thrown his 70th pitch.