Atlanta Braves History: Braves 4, Red Sox 1 - June 22, 2012

Great news for the Atlanta Braves last night. Jurrgens returned and did well. And, it was against Boston. Of course, Braves fans know that the Atlanta Braves started their franchise in Boston before there was a Red Sox team. While I am not a big fan of inter-league play, I love it when we play in Boston.

So Jair Jurrjens returned, and it was the Good Jurrjens, keeping the ball in the park, not walking people, but only getting a handful of strikeouts so you’re not too certain about his long-term outlook.

The game was scoreless through three when Matt Diaz grounded out to score Freddie Freeman, and Andrelton Simmons doubled home Jason Heyward (who was 3-4 with two doubles on the day) to make it 2-0. Simmons added an insurance run with a sac fly to score Heyward in the sixth.

Meanwhile, Jurrjens was cruising. He allowed a first inning single and a third inning walk, and that was it until the eighth. He allowed a leadoff double in that inning, and another double with two out to make it 3-1; Chad Durbin came in to get the last out. Freeman singled in Michael Bourn in the ninth to make it 4-1, and Craig Kimbrel had, yes, a 1-2-3 ninth for the easy save.

via Braves 4, Red Sox 1.

Atlanata Braves History: Braves 4, Blue Jays 3 - June 6, 2012

Great game last night. You always have to love a win in extra innings. I am very encourage with the Braves this year. They are hanging in there. Even with Chipper injured most of the season so far. Jason Heyward and Dan Uggla are impressive.

Is Jason Heyward waking up? He scored twice and drove in a run last night, one of the runs being a game winner.

The Braves’ first run came on a bases-loaded walk of Dan Uggla in the third, scoring Brandon Beachy, but Heyward flew out to end that threat. Beachy had a shutout going through five, but in the sixth allowed a leadoff homer to Jose Bautista and walked the next two, so Fredi brought in Chad Durbin. Beachy struck out six, but walked five, and threw 108 pitches in those mere five innings. Durbin let one of Beachy’s runs score to make it 2-1 Jays.

Uggla led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, and Heyward followed with a double to score him and tie the game. With two out, after pinch-hitter Freddie Freeman couldn’t get him home from third, Heyward scored on a balk to make it 3-2.

Jonny Venters walked a man, but otherwise was good in the seventh. The Braves blew a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the inning, and in the eighth Eric O’Flaherty gave up the tying run, which scored on a Yunel Escobar groundout.

Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth, allowing an infield single, and Cristhian Martinez pitched the tenth. Heyward led off the bottom of that inning with an infield single, and Jack Wilson bunted him to second. On his own initiative, Heyward stole third. The catcher threw the ball away and Heyward came around to win the game.

via Braves 4, Blue Jays 3 (10 innings).

Atlanta Braves History: Jason Heyward’s fourth inning blast (2012)

Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves hits a fourth inning home run against the Milwaukee Brewers at Turner Field on April 15, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. All uniformed team members are wearing jersey number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.

New phenom on opening day (2010)

Jason Heyward had a great Spring Training in 2010. Lots of promise but he not played in the Big Leagues yet. Jason Heyward's legend grew even larger on April 5, 2010 when the Braves phenom drilled a three-run homer on the first swing of his Major League career. After looking at two fastballs from Carlos Zambrano, Heyward mashed a 2-0 sinker deep into the Braves bullpen beyond the right-center field wall for a three-run homer. The 20-year-old made his way around the bases to the sound of a thunderous applause provided by a sold-out crowd at Turner Field. As Heyward made his way back to the dugout after providing his club a 6-3 lead, he was greeted by Chipper Jones, who stretched his arms out and gave the young outfielder a hug.

Heyward, was drafted out of suburban Atlanta's Henry County High School with the 14th overall selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, had the hometown faithful stirring as he made his way to the plate. Before slugging his monstrous home run he was serenaded with boisterous chants of "Jason Heyward." After becoming the sixth player in Atlanta history and just the 11th player in Braves franchise history to homer in his Major League debut, Heyward took his position and found the fans beyond the right-field wall applauding him even louder than they had when he took the field to start the game.

While making his Major League debut for the Braves on Opening Day last year, Jordan Schafer became the 99th Major League player to homer in his first career at-bat.

Heyward, who was widely regarded as the game's top prospect, was wearing No. 22 this year in honor of his former high school teammate, Andrew Wilmot, who was killed in an automobile accident in 2007.

Now 10,000 wins is a lot in anybody's book (2011)

There is baseball history and then there is HISTORY. 10,000 wins counts as HISTOR.  Gosh, that was fun. The Braves got their 10,000th win as a franchise, Martin Prado returned to the lineup with two hits, including a homer, the Nats committed five errors, and Livan Hernandez was the losing, humiliated pitcher. All in all, a good night.

The Nats actually opened the scoring off of Tim Hudson, two singles and a groundout in the first making it 1-0. But that was all they would get, all, night, as they rarely even threatened from then out. In the bottom of the inning, Jordan Schafer reached and went to second on a pair of errors. With one out, Jason Heyward walked, and Freddie Freeman singled in Schafer to tie it. Dan Uggla doubled home Heyward, and another error, off the bat of David Ross (who is apparently now Hudson’s personal catcher, don’t ask me) scored Freeman. Nate McLouth‘s single to score Uggla made it 4-1, but Ross was Snitkered on an Alex Gonzalez single to more or less end the threat.

In the third, Hudson singled in Ross to make it 5-1. Prado homered leading off the fourth, Livan’s last inning. The Braves put it away in the sixth. Hudson doubled over the right fielder’s head leading off, then went to third on a wild pitch. Schafer walked, then Prado and Heyward singled to make it 8-1. Uggla reached on an error to make it 9-1, but the Braves wound up leaving the bases loaded. Freeman doubled in two in the seventh to make it 11-1.

Scott Linebrink pitched the eighth, loading the bases before getting out of it. George Sherrill threw a perfect ninth. I guess the situation was just too high-leverage for Scott Proctor.

Jason Heyword to start (2010)

Braves rookie sensation Jason Heyward will open the season as Atlanta's regular right fielder.

"How could we keep him off the team?" Braves manager Bobby Cox said Friday. "He's done everything this spring."