The Atlanta Braves have found that their new and improved lineup is working, cranking out six runs on Wednesday after scoring eight on Tuesday. The club used a couple of bloops and two blasts from Jason Heyward and Chipper Jones on their way to a 6-4 win to clinch a series victory. They'll go for the sweep on Thursday night.
Jason Heyward continued to hurt baseballs in the first inning with a no-doubt solo shot to right-center field, an estimated homer of 420 feet. The Braves scratched across three runs in the fifth, scoring on a throwing error from Trevor Cahill to bring a run home. Michael Bourn and Martin Prado both hit sacrifice flies to bring home a runner, making the score 4-0 after five innings.
Chipper Jones belted his sixth home run of the season over the center field wall in the sixth, giving Atlanta a 6-0 lead.
The Diamondbacks made things interesting in the seventh. Ryan Roberts hit a three-run homer off Tommy Hanson to cut the deficit in half, which ended Hanson's night. Jonny Venters entered from the bullpen and surrendered a solo home run to Chris Young to make the score 6-4.
Fortunately for the Braves their bullpen would step up in the final two innings. Eric O'Flaherty got out of a jam on a slick 4-6-3 double play, and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth. That's his 22nd save of the season, good for the best number in baseball.
The Braves and D-backs will meet again at 7:10 p.m. ET tomorrow night.
For more on the club be sure to check out Talking Chop.