Powerful Moment for Braves

When Rafael Furcal reports to Cobb County, Ga., jail the day after the postseason ends, he might check to see if the facility is outfitted with classic sports television.

That’s where his two-out, two-run homer in the 11th inning appears destined to land after it completed the Atlanta Braves’ 4-2 comeback victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday in Game 2 of the National League division series.

Furcal’s blast into the right-field seats at Turner Field jolted some life into the listless Braves and delayed, for at least one more day, the start of a 21-day jail sentence the shortstop was ordered to serve for violating probation with his second drunk-driving charge in four years.

Furcal would have started his sentence Sunday if the Astros swept the best-of-five series in three games. Now, with the series tied at one game apiece heading to Minute Maid Park for Game 3 on Saturday, the Braves are assured of at least reaching Game 4.

“For me, when I’m coming to the ballpark ... I forget everything except the field, put a lot of concentration on the game,” said Furcal, who drove in three runs but was one of two Braves thrown out at the plate late in the game after questionable baserunning decisions.

“Then, after the game, when I go to my house, I think of all my problems.”

Houston appeared poised to saddle the Braves with a major problem when it began the bottom of the seventh with a 2-0 lead and 20-game winner Roy Oswalt on the mound.

The Astros had built their lead on homers by Jeff Bagwell and Raul Chavez off starter Mike Hampton, who had to leave in the seventh after experiencing tightness in his left forearm.

But the Braves rallied for one run off Oswalt and one more off closer Brad Lidge, who pitched a season-high 2 2/3 innings, before Furcal tagged a 1-and-2 pitch from reliever Dan Miceli for the winner.

“I prefer these dramatic games not to be so dramatic,” said Atlanta closer John Smoltz, who contributed three scoreless innings and his first base hit in five years.

After Furcal’s single up the middle off Oswalt with one out in the seventh trimmed the Braves’ deficit to 2-1, Astro Manager Phil Garner informed umpires that the dugout phone was malfunctioning, creating a delay of several minutes as Lidge warmed up in the bullpen.

Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox filed a formal protest with the umpires, accusing Garner of stopping play unnecessarily. Once Lidge finally went into the game, Furcal stole second and went to third when catcher Chavez’s throw skipped under second baseman Jeff Kent’s glove and into center field.

But Furcal, after initially hesitating, was thrown out at home for the final out of the inning when he tried to score on a pitch that didn’t bounce quite far enough away from Chavez.

“I break a little late because I don’t see the ball, where it was going,” Furcal explained.

In the eighth inning, Adam LaRoche’s double off the wall in left-center drove in Chipper Jones with the tying run before pinch-runner Wilson Betemit was thrown out trying to score from third on Andruw Jones’ sharp bouncer to third baseman Morgan Ensberg.

Smoltz, who retired all six Astros he faced in the eighth and ninth, put another charge into the crowd of 40,075 when he led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right off Lidge.

“I can’t tell you how much adrenaline was running through my body,” said Smoltz, who took second on Furcal’s sacrifice bunt. “I honestly thought we were going to win it there.”

Lidge hunkered down under the pressure, retiring Marcus Giles on a groundout and striking out J.D. Drew on three pitches.

Miceli retired the first four Braves he faced before, with one out in the 11th, Charles Thomas singled past first baseman Bagwell and stole second. Then, after pinch-hitter Eli Marrero popped up in foul territory for the second out, Furcal drilled the first walk-off homer of his career to send his teammates storming out of the dugout.

“This team will not give in,” Smoltz said. “We may lose, but we won’t give in.”

Said Houston’s Lance Berkman, part of a “Killer B” heart of the order that finished two for 18: “It’s certainly a game we would have liked to have won, but we couldn’t close it out late. That’s going to happen against a good team.”