The Atlanta Braves finally won a one-run game when Matt Diaz hit a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning to beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 Thursday. Atlanta was the first team since the 2000 Houston Astros to lose its first nine one-run games. The Braves were the only team in the major leagues without a one-run victory.
Atlanta, which trailed 4-1 after five innings, has won six straight games, all at home.
The Padres, who lost their fourth straight, committed three errors that led to four unearned runs.
Yunel Escobar led off the ninth with a bunt single off Joe Thatcher (0-4). Chipper Jones followed with a single to left. After the runners advanced on Mark Teixeira's groundout, Thatcher issued an intentional walk to Jeff Francoeur, loading the bases for Diaz.
Diaz lined a 2-2 pitch to left to drive in Escobar.
Manny Acosta (1-1) earned the win on the same day he lost a save because of an official scorer's error.
Braves starter Jo-Jo Reyes left in the third inning after developing a blister on his left index finger. Buddy Carlyle, who relieved Reyes, was knocked out of the game in the fifth with a neck injury suffered in a baseline collision with Kevin Kouzmanoff.
Reyes gave up five hits and two runs in 2 2-3 innings.
The Padres scored two runs off Reyes in the first. Brian Giles reached on first baseman Teixeira's error and moved to second on Callix Crabbe's walk. One out later, Kouzmanoff hit a two-run double that skipped past Mark Kotsay in center field.
In the fifth, Carlyle fielded Kouzmanoff's weak grounder and made the tag about halfway down the first-base line as Kouzmanoff's left thigh hit Carlyle's head.
Carlyle held the ball up to the umpires before falling forward to the ground. Braves assistant trainer Jim Lovell helped the woozy Carlyle to his feet and held the pitcher's arm while escorting him off the field.
Carlyle gave up a double to one-out double to Adrian Gonzalez before facing Kouzmanoff. Gonzalez scored on Scott Hairston's single off Jorge Campillo. Khalil Greene drove in Hairston with a double.
San Diego starter Wil Ledezma gave up one unearned run and two hits in four innings. Shawn Estes, recalled from Triple-A Portland, gave up two runs, both unearned, in 1 2-3 innings in his first major league appearance since April 5, 2006.
Estes missed the 2007 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Pinch-hitter Greg Norton had a two-run single in the sixth and the Braves pulled even with their fourth unearned run in the seventh. Escobar reached on shortstop Greene's two-base throwing error and scored on Heath Bell's wild pitch.
Acosta was mistakenly awarded his third save for recording two outs in Atlanta's 5-2 win over San Diego on Wednesday. The save was removed following a review by the commissioner's office and the Elias Sports Bureau, baseball's statistician.
To qualify for the save, Acosta would have had to start the inning with a three-run lead or enter the game with the potential tying run on base, at the plate or on deck. He came in with none on.
Notes:@ San Diego C Colt Morton's second-inning single was his first major league hit. He was 0-for-12 in his first eight games this season and 0-for-1 in 2007. ... The Braves activated Omar Infante and placed C Brayan Pena on the 15-day disabled list with a back sprain. Infante started at second base and was the leadoff hitter. ... The Padres placed RHP Kevin Cameron on the 15-day DL with a right elbow sprain.