Heyward returns with two defensive gems in victory

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Three days off didn’t slow the Braves.

Fifteen days off didn’t slow Jason Heyward either.

The Braves' rookie made two defensive gems in his first game back from the disabled list. Those plays combined with third-inning home runs by Martin Prado and Chipper Jones lifted the Braves to a 2-1 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday.

Heyward made the two runs hold up with his arm and his glove.

“Give this game to the defense,” Braves winning pitcher Jair Jurrjens said. [Heyward] won the game with his glove today.”

Returning from the All-Star break, the Braves improved their major-league best home record to 31-10 as they started a four-game series with the Brewers. The Braves entered the game with a four-game lead in the National League East over the New York Mets, who played at San Francisco late Thursday night.

Heyward went 0-for-4, but he made his return immediately known by throwing out Milwaukee’s Casey McGehee at third base in the second inning. After McGehee singled to lead off the inning, Jim Edmonds singled to right. Heyward threw out McGehee by a wide margin to prevent a first-and-third, no-out situation.

Heyward put a scare into the Braves' dugout and the Turner Field crowd when he crashed face-first into the outfield wall to rob McGehee of an extra-base hit in the fourth inning. Several players and manager Bobby Cox quickly made their way down to the right-field corner after Heyward fell to the ground.

“I saw everybody taking off so fast, I thought it was really bad,” Cox said. “I couldn’t see from the dugout. ... It jarred his head a little bit and his entire body. He’ll be all right.”

The rookie eventually got to his feet, rubbed his chin a few times and smiled to eliminate any concern from the 35,057 in attendance. Although it happened too fast to remember, Heyward knew what to expect when the team trainer arrived.

“I hit the wall pretty hard,” said Heyward, who was out with a thumb injury. “I took my time getting up. I had to because it’s one of those things that you don’t want to rush getting up.

“They asked me questions. I started telling him. ‘My name is Jason Heyward. I’m the right fielder for the Braves.’ It took me a second to figure out what day it was, because it’s hard enough to keep up with that anyway. ‘Today is Thursday. We’ve got a day off on Monday.’ Then [the trainer] just asked me some math questions. I knew where he was going with it right away.”

The Braves' lineup also featured the debut of shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Obtained from Toronto on Wednesday in the five-player trade that sent Yunel Escobar to the Blue Jays, Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a double and an intentional walk.

The Brewers jumped out early when Corey Hart hit his 22nd home run of the season, a first-inning blast to right field off Jurrjens.

The Braves answered with home runs by Prado and Jones in the third. Prado hit his 11th homer -- and fourth in the past six games -- to left-center off Brewers starter Dave Bush. One batter later, Jones followed with his seventh homer of the season, a shot to center field.

The hot-hitting Jones went 1-for-3 and is hitting .320 (24-for-75) in his past 22 games, including four homers and 12 RBIs.

“I didn’t think two runs were going to hold up,” Jones said. “But J.J. and the bullpen made them hold up.”

Jurrjens, making his third start since returning from a hamstring injury, pitched 6 2/3 innings. He improved to 2-3, with both wins coming after his return from the disabled list. Peter Moylan got Rickie Weeks to ground out with runners on first and second to get Jurrjens out of a seventh-inning jam. Moylan and Jonny Venters -- who threw three pitches and got two outs -- combined to pitch the eighth.

“I still have a little way to go,” Jurrjens said. “I’m trying to build up my condition, and I’m feeling much better with the hamstring.”

Cox said Jurrjens developed a callus on his finger during the game, but the right-hander said it did not affect him.

Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save of the season.