Home Runs Abound As Heyward And Braves Batter Yankees 10-5

It was a hot day in New York, with temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees on the diamond, and baseballs carrying like crazy. The Braves and the Yankees combined for 9 home runs, tying an MLB season-high for most in a single game. Fortunately for Atlanta, they came out on top, thanks in large part to the heroics of Jason Heyward who had two of the Braves five homers on the afternoon.

Atlanta wasted no time getting to work against Yankee starter Phil Hughes in the 1st. Michael Bourn led off the game with a single, and stole second with two outs. Dan Uggla fouled off several pitches before getting something to hit and rifling a single to left to score Bourn. That brought Freddie Freeman to the plate, who deposited the first pitch he saw into the right-center field seats for a home run and a 3-0 Braves lead.

Derek Jeter got one back fast for the Yanks, homering on the first pitch Tommy Hanson threw. Solo shots from Martin Prado in the third inning, Jason Heyward in the 4th, and David Ross in the 5th made it 6-1 Atlanta. Eric Chavez cut it to 6-2 with a solo shot in the bottom of the 5th frame. Back to back solo shots from Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano in the 6th made it a 6-4 game and spelled the end of Tommy Hanson's day.

Despite the 4 runs, Hanson pitched pretty well. He had his curveball working all day and notched five strikeouts compared to only two walks. He allowed five hits (four of which were homers) and half of the homers hit off of him would have probably been outs at Turner Field.

Chad Durbin pitched the 7th, and ended his 17 inning scoreless streak by walking two men and allowing an RBI single to Curtis Granderson to make it 6-5. A double play off of A-Rod ended the Yankee threat, however.

In the 8th, the Braves would add insurance off former Brave Boone Logan. With men on the corners and one out, Freeman hit a line drive to first reminiscent of Heyward's RBI the night before. The Yanks got the putout at first but couldn't turn two, thus allowing in the 7th run of the game. That brought up the JHey kid who fouled off several tough pitches from the lefty Logan before jumping full extension on a Logan fastball and depositing it over the short porch in right for a 9-5 Atlanta lead. Martin Prado had an RBI single in the top of the ninth to close out the scoring as the Braves won the game and the series.

Braves MVPs:

• Jason Heyward, RF: 2-4, 2 HR(9,10), 3 RBI
• Martin Prado, LF: 3-5, HR(5), 2 R, 2 RBI