Heyward's 10th-inning hit lifts Braves; Prado hurt in win

CINCINNATI -- After the Braves squandered scoring opportunities for most of the night, Jason Heyward came through with a reminder that this team's late-innings mojo hasn't run dry.

Heyward's two-out, two-run double in the 10th inning lifted the Braves to a thrilling 6-4 win against the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a highly anticipated series between division leaders at sold-out Great American Ball Park.

The Braves hoped it wasn't a costly win after All-Star second baseman Martin Prado jammed the pinky on his right hand sliding head-first at home plate for the second run on Heyward's hit. X-rays were inconclusive and Prado was to see a doctor Saturday for further evaluation.

Heyward fouled off a full-count pitch from Francisco Cordero before hitting the winning opposite-field double, his third double in the game.

"I had a good idea what I needed to get done right there," Heyward said. "Just be patient and try not to do too much."

Brian McCann hit a two-run homer for the Braves, who collected a majors-leading 17th win in their final at-bat and  halting the rapid erosion of their lead over Philadelphia in the National League East standings.

The Braves pushed their advantage back to 3 1/2 games over the Phillies, who had an eight-game winning streak snapped Friday when Roy Oswalt lost to Washington in his debut start after being traded to Philadelphia.

"It was a battle between two really good teams, two really good pitching staffs," McCann said of the Braves-Reds match. "It's still two months in the season, but it's two teams in first place. Every game from here on out is big. This is what you play the game for."

McCann wanted to talk about at-bats other than his own. Specifically, he came to praise J-Hey.

"The at-bat Heyward had tonight, it was ...." McCann said, searching for the right words, "you know, when you're 20 years old you're not supposed to be doing stuff like that. And off one of the better closers in the game.

"With the game on the line, he's one of the guys we want coming up. He came through for us tonight."

Heyward's game-winning hit skipped off the glove of left fielder Jonny Gomes, who attempted a sliding catch. It brought home Melky Cabrera and Martin Prado, who had reached on walks, Prado's a nine-pitch exercise.

Manager Bobby Cox on the at-bats by Prado and Heyward in the 10th: "They had good ones. Great ones. Jason came through."

Prado raced around from first base and scored on a close play at the plate to provide the two-run cushion. Closer Billy Wagner gave up a double and a walk in the 10th before recording his 24th save.

"Overall huge win," said Braves starting pitcher Kris Medlen, who pitched five gritty innings before leaving with a bruised forearm after being hit by a pitch. "Two really good teams playing against each other, two teams at the top of their division. Really good win for us."

For a while Friday, it looked as if McCann's resurgent power stroke and the good-luck charm starting pitcher,  Medlen, wouldn't be enough to offset the wasted chances by the Braves, who were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position before Heyward's big hit.

Braves pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad had a would-be home run taken away by Chris Heisey on a leaping catch at the right-field fence to end the top of the ninth.

Medlen left with a lead and a bruise after being hit  on his pitching arm by a Johnny Cueto fastball in the sixth inning t0 load the bases. Prado followed with a groundout that drove in a run to put the Braves ahead 4-3.

Medlen left the game after he was hit, but Cox and Medlen were optimistic he would not miss a start. The Braves are 12-1 in Medlen's starts.

"I thought he was throwing outstanding tonight," Cox said of Medlen, charged with three runs, six hits and one walk. "Too bad he got hit and had to come out, but he should be OK for his next start."

Braves lefty Jonny Venters, relieved that his four-game suspension was rescinded by Major League Baseball earlier Friday, gave up a leadoff homer to Joey Votto in the eighth inning that re-tied the score.

With a runner at third and one out, Venters struck out Jay Bruce and induced a groundout by Drew Stubbs to get out of the inning without further damage.

"In my opinion the Braves have an outstanding bullpen, the best in baseball," Votto said.

The win was the first for the Braves in three series openers on the current trip that began with series losses at Florida and Washington.

The loss dropped Cincinnati into a first-place tie with St. Louis in the NL Central before the conclusion of the Cardinals' rain-delayed game Friday against Pittsburgh.

Chipper Jones' RBI single in the third inning gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead and was the Braves' only hit with runners in scoring position until Heyward's in the 10th.

Medlen gave up the lead on four consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the third. The three run-scoring hits all followed a balk called by umpire  Bob Davidson, which the Braves disagreed with.

Just when it looked as if he were headed for an early exit, he retired seven of the next nine batters before the arm injury.

"After the balk I felt like I made my pitches, they just put them in play in good spots," Medlen said. "It was a good win. We needed one. We've kind of scuffled on this road trip."

McCann's two-run homer was his eighth in 16 career games at the stadium with a nickname, Great American Small Park, that reflects its hitter-friendly dimensions.

After plunking Medlen in the sixth inning, Cueto quickly came down to the first-base line to check on him. Cueto was replaced after the Prado groundout drove in the go-ahead run.

Before Medlen was hit by the pitch, Omar Infante had a leadoff single, and Cabrera hit a bloop double to right on an excuse-me swing to put two runners in scoring position with none out.