ATLANTA — Add two more firsts to Jason Heyward's heralded rookie season: a game-winning hit and a show of excitement.
Heyward drove in two runs with a two-out, bases-loaded single in the ninth inning, lifting the Braves to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Heyward, usually stoic in his demeanor, bounced up and down between first and second base and soon was surrounded by teammates in the impromptu celebration.
"He's got fortitude like no other 20-year-old," said teammate Matt Diaz, who had three hits. "The best part about it was we got to see a little emotion out of him, jumping up and down out there at second base."
Said Heyward: "That's the way the story goes. When I do something like that, I expect to get mobbed.
"It's fun. This is baseball. I've always enjoyed playing baseball."
The celebration continued as Heyward was hit in his face by a shaving cream pie from Eric Hinske.
"You don't get shaving cream after you lose," said Heyward, who also was covered in shaving cream after he hit a homer with his first swing in the Braves' opening game.
Heyward, who had two walks, looked at four straight pitches — two balls and two strikes — before lining the game-ending hit to left field off Franklin Morales. The single drove in Martin Prado from third base and pinch-runner Brooks Conrad from second.
"He only had the one swing, but it was a good one," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.
Heyward, hitting .302, was 1-for-3 with three RBIs and two walks. He moved into a tie for second in the National League with 15 RBIs.
The Braves won two of three against Colorado, which won 4-0 Saturday night behind Ubaldo Jimenez's no-hitter.
Trailing 3-2, the Braves rallied against Morales (0-1), the Rockies' fill-in closer who loaded the bases by giving up a single and two walks.
Eric O'Flaherty (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth in relief of Jair Jurrjens.
Prado led off the ninth with a single to left off Morales. After an out and with Brian McCann at the plate, Morales balked, sending Prado to second base and bringing Rockies manager Jim Tracy on the field for an animated but brief argument with second-base umpire Damien Beal.
Morales walked McCann, who was replaced by pinch-runner Nate McLouth. Troy Glaus was called safe on a close play at first on his fielder's choice grounder which forced McLouth out at second but advanced Prado to third base.
Conrad ran for Glaus. Yunel Escobar walked on four straight balls to set up Heyward's bases-loaded single.
"I threw my best pitch," said Morales, who said he didn't know if the balk call affected his concentration.
"I don't know what happened," Morales said of the balk. "I think (Beal) missed it."
Morales has blown two of his four saves opportunities. He is filling in for Huston Street, who is recovering from right shoulder stiffness.
"We were an out away, and in the ninth we were a pitch away," Tracy said.
Carlos Gonzalez gave Colorado a 3-2 lead with an eighth-inning homer off Jurrjens. Gonzalez lined his first homer of the season just inside the foul pole in right field to lead off the eighth.
The Braves led 2-1 before Ian Stewart, who had three hits and two RBIs, tied the game with a seventh-inning homer.
Jurrjens gave up five hits and three runs in eight innings. He walked three and had nine strikeouts. The right-hander gave up a career-high eight runs in a 17-2 loss to San Diego on Monday.
Greg Smith gave up five hits and two runs in 5 1-3 innings. He matched his career high with seven walks, including one intentional, and struck out five.
Five Colorado pitchers combined for 11 walks.
"Eleven walks brings a lot of people to the plate," Tracy said. "That's a lot of baserunners. ... We were fighting against odds we created for ourselves."
Diaz led off the first with a triple and scored on Prado's sacrifice fly to left field. The Rockies tied it 1-all in the second when Troy Tulowitzki doubled and scored on Stewart's single to right field.
Atlanta took a 2-1 lead in the third when Smith walked Heyward to force in a run.
NOTES: Entering Sunday's games, Braves leadoff hitters ranked last in the major leagues in hitting at 3 for 46 (.065), according to STATS, Inc. Diaz matched that with three hits in his third game hitting leadoff. ... Rockies LHP Joe Beimel picked Jones off second base in the seventh. It was the second Atlanta baserunner picked off second base in as many days, following Kenshin Kawakami on Saturday. ... Prado, backing up to chase Seth Smith's short pop fly in the sixth, collided with Beal and both fell to the ground. Melky Cabrera ran in from center field to make the catch. Prado and Beal were not injured.
Heyward drove in two runs with a two-out, bases-loaded single in the ninth inning, lifting the Braves to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Heyward, usually stoic in his demeanor, bounced up and down between first and second base and soon was surrounded by teammates in the impromptu celebration.
"He's got fortitude like no other 20-year-old," said teammate Matt Diaz, who had three hits. "The best part about it was we got to see a little emotion out of him, jumping up and down out there at second base."
Said Heyward: "That's the way the story goes. When I do something like that, I expect to get mobbed.
"It's fun. This is baseball. I've always enjoyed playing baseball."
The celebration continued as Heyward was hit in his face by a shaving cream pie from Eric Hinske.
"You don't get shaving cream after you lose," said Heyward, who also was covered in shaving cream after he hit a homer with his first swing in the Braves' opening game.
Heyward, who had two walks, looked at four straight pitches — two balls and two strikes — before lining the game-ending hit to left field off Franklin Morales. The single drove in Martin Prado from third base and pinch-runner Brooks Conrad from second.
"He only had the one swing, but it was a good one," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.
Heyward, hitting .302, was 1-for-3 with three RBIs and two walks. He moved into a tie for second in the National League with 15 RBIs.
The Braves won two of three against Colorado, which won 4-0 Saturday night behind Ubaldo Jimenez's no-hitter.
Trailing 3-2, the Braves rallied against Morales (0-1), the Rockies' fill-in closer who loaded the bases by giving up a single and two walks.
Eric O'Flaherty (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth in relief of Jair Jurrjens.
Prado led off the ninth with a single to left off Morales. After an out and with Brian McCann at the plate, Morales balked, sending Prado to second base and bringing Rockies manager Jim Tracy on the field for an animated but brief argument with second-base umpire Damien Beal.
Morales walked McCann, who was replaced by pinch-runner Nate McLouth. Troy Glaus was called safe on a close play at first on his fielder's choice grounder which forced McLouth out at second but advanced Prado to third base.
Conrad ran for Glaus. Yunel Escobar walked on four straight balls to set up Heyward's bases-loaded single.
"I threw my best pitch," said Morales, who said he didn't know if the balk call affected his concentration.
"I don't know what happened," Morales said of the balk. "I think (Beal) missed it."
Morales has blown two of his four saves opportunities. He is filling in for Huston Street, who is recovering from right shoulder stiffness.
"We were an out away, and in the ninth we were a pitch away," Tracy said.
Carlos Gonzalez gave Colorado a 3-2 lead with an eighth-inning homer off Jurrjens. Gonzalez lined his first homer of the season just inside the foul pole in right field to lead off the eighth.
The Braves led 2-1 before Ian Stewart, who had three hits and two RBIs, tied the game with a seventh-inning homer.
Jurrjens gave up five hits and three runs in eight innings. He walked three and had nine strikeouts. The right-hander gave up a career-high eight runs in a 17-2 loss to San Diego on Monday.
Greg Smith gave up five hits and two runs in 5 1-3 innings. He matched his career high with seven walks, including one intentional, and struck out five.
Five Colorado pitchers combined for 11 walks.
"Eleven walks brings a lot of people to the plate," Tracy said. "That's a lot of baserunners. ... We were fighting against odds we created for ourselves."
Diaz led off the first with a triple and scored on Prado's sacrifice fly to left field. The Rockies tied it 1-all in the second when Troy Tulowitzki doubled and scored on Stewart's single to right field.
Atlanta took a 2-1 lead in the third when Smith walked Heyward to force in a run.
NOTES: Entering Sunday's games, Braves leadoff hitters ranked last in the major leagues in hitting at 3 for 46 (.065), according to STATS, Inc. Diaz matched that with three hits in his third game hitting leadoff. ... Rockies LHP Joe Beimel picked Jones off second base in the seventh. It was the second Atlanta baserunner picked off second base in as many days, following Kenshin Kawakami on Saturday. ... Prado, backing up to chase Seth Smith's short pop fly in the sixth, collided with Beal and both fell to the ground. Melky Cabrera ran in from center field to make the catch. Prado and Beal were not injured.