After Martin Prado put the Braves ahead with his bat Sunday night, he kept them there with his arm.
The left fielder hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, and then threw out a runner at the plate in the eighth inning to prevent the tying run from scoring in a 2-1 Braves win against the Cincinnati Reds at Turner Field.
Jair Jurrjens (7-1) pitched eight strong innings to lower his majors-leading ERA to 1.51, and the Braves won the series 2-1 and gained a game on Philadelphia and Florida in the National League East standings.
“Oh, [Prado] won the game," Jurrjens said. "Big two-run home run and throw the guy out at home. He’s the one that won the game for us.”
The Braves are 3-1/2 games behind Philadelphia and 1-1/2 behind Florida.
"We got the win, and it was a big win," said closer Craig Kimbrel, who struck out Ramon Hernandez with two on in the ninth for his 15th save. "We really needed that today, with Philly and the Marlins losing.”
Jurrjens got the win, but Prado got much of the credit.
The Reds' Paul Janish tried to score from second base on Brandon Phillips’ two-out single in the eighth, but Prado made a nearly perfect one-hop throw to catcher David Ross, who applied the tag on a close play.
"I just caught the ball and threw it as well as I could," said Prado, who's in his first season as an outfielder after being an All-Star second baseman in 2010. "There were a lot of people around. I couldn’t see Rossy and I was like, OK, I’m just going to throw the ball to home plate.
"I’m glad that we got the out. That was huge.”
Prado got a standing ovation as he jogged in from left field and was greeted by high-fiving and forearm-bashing teammates when he reached the dugout.
“He did it all," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He played nice defense, got a big knock. This is a hell of a game we played today, a 2-1 game. JJ gave us everything he had.... Gave us an opportunity to save our bullpen a little bit by him going eight innings."
Jurrjens allowed six hits and one run, with two walks (one intentional) and five strikeouts. He threw 63 strikes in 98 pitches and enabled the Braves to avoid using any member of their heavily worked bullpen except Kimbrel.
"I knew the bullpen needed a rest," Jurrjens said, "and I just wanted to go out and try to make sure I kept my pitch count down and get deeper in the game, to save some arms. We need those guys to be fresh for the second half.”
It’s been nearly two weeks since the Braves scored more than two runs in a game that didn’t go into extra innings. And for a while, it looked like their ace might again be the loser for it.
That was until Prado homered in the sixth off Johnny Cueto, turning a one-run deficit into a lead to energize a crowd of 36,392, including an unusually large walkup of 10,333 (tickets sold at the ballpark Sunday).
“That happens," Prado said of the Braves' scoring woes. "The most important thing is that our pitching keep doing what they’ve been doing all year. I’m so, so sure that all my teammates are going to turn it around and start hitting the ball, because I have a lot of confidence in my teammates.
"This is going to change. We want our pitching staff to keep doing what they’re doing.”
Cueto (2-2) had recorded 12 outs in a span of 13 batters -- and did it efficiently against eager-to-swing Braves -- before Jordan Schafer’s leadoff walk in the sixth inning.
Prado followed with a home run to the left-field bleachers on a 2-and-0 fastball. It was his seventh homer this season and first since May 12, and it was likely a relief for anyone concerned he might ground into another double play.
After Schafer’s leadoff single in the first inning, Prado grounded into his sixth double play in 12 games, and 12th of the season, second most in the National League.
“It’s been a weird year for me," Prado said. "There’s some days that I feel good at home plate, and the next day I don’t have a clue. But I’ve got to get going, man. I’ve been working hard, and I’ve got great support from my teammates. I’m always positive."
Two batters later, after an Eric Hinske walk, Freddie Freeman hit a towering fly to left field that looked like it might push the lead to three runs -- until the Reds' Fred Lewis leaped to catch it against the wall.
Jay Bruce hit his league-leading 15th homer in the second inning to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.
“I hung a pitch, a changeup," Jurrjens said. "He’s one of the hottest hitters in the major leagues right now.... Then after that, I just tried to calm down, get ahead [in counts], be more aggressive.
“My sinker wasn’t sinking a lot today and I gave up a lot of fly balls. I think [Scott] Rolen got a couple that I thought were going to be home runs, too. But he hit it to the longest part of the field."
The Reds had a third-inning scoring opportunity erased by Ross. After Janish’s leadoff single, he was picked off after straying too far from first base.
Ross, a strong-armed veteran backup, also threw out Joey Votto trying to steal second base for the third out in the sixth.
