Heyward, Johnson help Brandon Beachy finally beat Phillies, Braves win 6-3

For the first time in nine starts, Brandon Beachy has finally beaten the Phillies.

Beachy allowed just two runs in six innings and Jason Heyward homered leading off the game, helping the Braves to a 6-3 win over the Phillies.

Heyward was just 1-for-11 against Phillies starter John Lannan, but hit the second pitch he saw for his first career leadoff home run; Chris Johnson added a sacrifice fly later in the inning. Lannan had to leave the game after loading the bases in the second inning. With one out, Freddie Freeman hit a sacrifice fly that just missed being a grand slam homer to center; Evan Gattis was hit with a pitch to re-load the bases - that ball is now on life support - before Chris Johnson singled home two more for a 5-0 cushion.

Beachy pitched well, striking out four without a walk and made only one real mistake in the game, and that was Domonic Brown's two-run homer in the sixth. Atlanta reclaimed one of those runs back in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Paul Janish.

Craig Kimbrel had to clean up a minor mess in the ninth. Darin Ruf homered off David Carpenter leading off the inning, and Carpenter then issued a walk before Kimbrel came in to retire the side in order.

Paul Janish broke a hitless streak of 27 at-bats with a single in the third inning, which may or may not have been helped by virtue of him removing an actual bat (the small, flying variety) from the infield in the top of the second inning. Tyler Pastornicky had to leave the game in the third inning when he and Jason Heyward collided trying to catch a pop-up; the diagnosis is a sprained left knee.

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