Heyward homer sparks Braves in opening rout of Cubs

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Many more moments like this and they may as well dip Jason Heyward's spikes in bronze and be done with it.

There were big expectations for the Braves phenom and "J-Hey" somehow raised them higher Monday by blasting a tie-breaking, three-run homer in the first inning of the Braves' wild 16-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on opening day at sold-out Turner Field.

"The stage was set and he came through," catcher Brian McCann said of the rookie sensation from McDonough. "Like I've said before, he's by far the best 20-year-old I've ever seen."

Heyward had two hits and four RBIs in his major league debut and Yunel Escobar drove in five runs for the Braves, who overcame Derek Lowe's rough start by scoring six runs in the first inning and six in the seventh to thrill a record crowd of 53,081.

"The Braves won today, not just myself," Heyward said. "That's how you do it ... It's great for the team to have excitement. Great way to start out there today."

McCann added a homer in the two-run second inning and Escobar had a three-run double in the seventh to end any thoughts of a Cubs comeback. The three-game series continues Wednesday.

The team scored the most runs ever by an Atlanta Braves team on opening day, doing the damage with 12 hits, eight walks and two Cubs errors.

"It was a fun game to participate in, a fun game to watch," said Lowe, who allowed five runs, five hits and three walks in six innings, including Marlon Byrd's three-run homer in the first. "My results weren't the best, but it was a great way to start."

The fourth-largest home crowd and largest day crowd in Atlanta Braves history got a show in the last opening day for manager Bobby Cox and first for Heyward, whose car window-bashing batting practice exploits this spring were the stuff of legend. The pride of Henry County High added to his rep in his first try in a real game.

With the score 3-3 in the first and thousands chanting "Let's go, Hey-ward ... let's go, Hey-ward," he dropped the bat head on a 2-and-0 Carlos Zambrano sinker and drove it into the Braves' bullpen beyond right field, sending a jolt through the ballpark.

"I haven't seen [that energy at Turner Field] in quite some time," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "I don't know that I've ever heard this stadium that loud, when Jason hit that home run. It was a spine-tingler and the first of many career highlights for him."

It was the first swing of Heyward's big-league career and the result was a 446-foot homer.

"I saw him in batting practice today and it kind of looked like he was trying to lift the ball out of the ballpark," said Jones, who was spotted talking to Heyward before the game. "I was trying to tell him to hit the ball through the wall instead of hitting it over the wall."

Jones smiled and said, "He compressed that first one pretty good. That was impressive. That was really impressive."

Heyward got a huge ovation as he circled the bases on the homer, then another when he jogged to his position in right field after the inning.

"Jason had a spectacular day," Cox said of the right-fielder, who had an RBI single in the eighth and reached on an error. "He'll have his struggles probably, like any other 20-year-old in the big leagues. But he's a very talented kid and when he's not hitting, he's going to help us in the outfield. He's a very gifted athlete and a terrific defensive player."

The flashy defense Monday came from center fielder Nate McLouth, who raced into the gaps for several catches, including one controversial play that the umpires upheld. The ball appeared to squirt from McLouth's glove before he had possession on that diving catch of a Byrd fly ball in the sixth, with a runner on and the Braves ahead 8-5.

"He ran four balls down today that I thought were in there and it turned the game around for us," Cox said. "They could have easily have taken the lead and [then] who knows what happens."