ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves' youngest stars are some of the biggest reasons the team is putting pressure on the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.Rookie Craig Kimbrel, only 23, took the major league lead with his 27th save and two 21-year-old sluggers, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward, hit home runs as Atlanta beat Colorado 6-3 on Thursday to complete its first four-game sweep of the Rockies in 18 years.
powered by Freeman hit four homers and drove in seven runs in the series. His third-inning homer was the highlight of a five-run inning that knocked Juan Nicasio (3-2) out of the game. Nicasio gave up six straight hits in the inning.
Freeman, the rookie first baseman, is hitting .279 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs. One of his biggest rivals in the race for NL Rookie of the Year is Kimbrel, who passed the Boston Red Sox's Jonathan Papelbon for the most saves by a rookie before the All-Star break since 1969. Papelbon had 26 saves before the break in 2006.
The depleted Rockies, already playing without regulars Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki, had outfielder Charlie Blackmon break a metatarsal in his left foot while running the bases in the third inning.
Heyward and Freeman each had three hits for Atlanta, which enjoyed an offensive resurgence while scoring four or more runs in every game of its 6-1 homestand. The Braves outscored the Rockies 15-4 in the final two games of the series.
"Coming up through the minors together, we said we were going to work as hard as possible," said Heyward, who arrived in Atlanta one year before Freeman, his good friend. "We knew it was going to be a lot of fun when we got here. Don't take it for granted. Keep doing what we're doing now."
Rockies manager Jim Tracy said Gonzalez, who has a bruised right wrist, is close to returning to the lineup. Gonzalez was injured Sunday and missed the series.
Jason Giambi, starting at first base for Todd Helton, drove in two runs. The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the first when Giambi's RBI double scored Jonathan Herrera from first. Giambi's fielder's choice grounder in the third drove in Ty Wigginton.
Wigginton entered the game as a pinch-runner after Blackmon was hurt while advancing from first to third on Herrera's single. Blackmon appeared to falter slightly near second base before his left foot made initial contact with the bag on his slide into third.
Nicasio intentionally walked Nate McLouth to load the bases in the second but escaped the jam by striking out Hudson. Nicasio gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings.
Eric O'Flaherty took over for Hudson with one out in the eighth. O'Flaherty's wild pitch with the bases loaded allowed Mark Ellis to score from third.
The Rockies will recall outfielder Cole Garner from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Garner will join the team Friday in Washington. ... The Braves are 23-10 since June 1, the best mark in the majors in that span. ... The Rockies have lost seven straight day games since beating the Detroit Tigers on June 19. They are a season-worst six games under .500.
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