Heyward, Infante hit two HRs apiece in 16-5 rout of Cubs

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By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

CHICAGO – When the first two hitters in your batting order combine for eight hits, four homers, eight runs and eight RBIs in one game, it's a good indication that things have seriously gone your way.

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"Four hits is the best I've done all year, that shows something," Jason Heyward (right, with Braves teammate Eric Hinske) said of his performance against the Cubs Sunday.

Nam Y. Huh, AP "Four hits is the best I've done all year, that shows something," Jason Heyward (right, with Braves teammate Eric Hinske) said of his performance against the Cubs Sunday.

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That was the carnage visited Sunday upon the Chicago Cubs by the Braves' Omar Infante and Jason Heyward, who each had four hits, two homers and four RBIs during a 16-5 rout at Wrigley Field.

"They're doing it like the 3-4-5 [hitters] should do it," Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton said of the production from the top of the lineup. "When you get that out of them, it can be something special."

Mike Minor (2-0) set an Atlanta Braves rookie record with 12 strikeouts in six innings in his third start, and the Braves scored 11 runs in the last three innings to crush the Cubs in Lou Piniella's last game as manager.

Derek Lee added a three-run double in the five-run eighth inning for the Braves, the first baseman's first hit in three games since being traded from the Cubs to the Braves.

"We hit a lot of balls pretty good today," said manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves had their highest scoring output since a 16-5 win against the Cubs on opening day. "I think some of the talk should go about Mike Minor. I thought he was just outstanding."

Minor allowed seven hits, three runs and one walk with 12 strikeouts, surpassing Tommy Hanson's 2009 Atlanta rookie record of 11 and matching the franchise rookie record done twice when the Braves were still located in Milwaukee.

"It was pretty fun," said Minor, who had eight strikeouts after three innings and 10 after four. "At the end it was a little bit of a blowout, but at the beginning it was a good game."

Piniella announced Sunday morning that he would step down after the game. What followed was not the kind of send-off the Cubs had in mind.

Infante led off the first inning with a homer, then hit a three-run homer in the fourth to give the Braves a 5-3 lead they would not relinquish.

"That's a huge win for us," Infante said through an interpreter, "and I'm happy to be able to contribute for the team with Jay [Heyward] and get a lead for Minor to get that confidence…. We got the win, so everybody's happy."

The first-place Braves took two of three games in the series and maintained a 2-1/2-game lead over Philadelphia in the National League East. West leader San Diego (74-49) is the only NL team with a better record than Atlanta (73-51).

Braves catcher Brian McCann went hitless, but appreciated what transpired Sunday including the impressive work of Minor and the top of the batting order.

"When we haven't been swinging the bats well, to come out here and score – I don't know how many we scored – you like days like this," McCann said. "We had guys step up today and carry us. It was awesome."

It was the fourth multi-homer game of Infante's career and the first for Heyward, who hit two homers Sunday after hitting one in his previous 40 games.

Heyward also had career bests in hits and runs (four apiece) and drew two walks to reach base in all six plate appearances. He hit a third-inning homer off Cubs starter Randy Wells (5-12) and a two-run homer, two-out in the ninth.

"He looked pretty good," Pendleton said of Heyward, who went 6-for-8 in games Saturday and Sunday, after going 9-for-61 (.148) with three RBIs in his previous 17 games. "It looks like he's seeing some pitches and starting to turn on the ball the way we think he can turn on the ball.

"He's getting some pitches he should turn on, and he's turning on them. That's what we've been looking for. His hand seems to be well and he seems to be able to get after it."

The bulk of Heyward's 14 homers and 57 RBIs came in the first two months of the season, before a thumb injured sapped his power for six weeks and landed him on the disabled list in late June. He said the thumb remains sore.

"It's most definitely not 100 percent," Heyward said, "but that's what this game is about, going out there and finding a way to get it done."

Sore thumb or not, he said it was the best he felt at the plate in a while.

"Four hits is the best I've done all year, that shows something," he said. "But like I said, Omar going out there and getting it started for us, putting up some good ABs to rough up the pitcher, definitely helps."

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