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Final Score: Atlanta 6 - Arizona 4

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Mark Kotsay homered and Charlie Morton pitched seven scoreless frames, as Atlanta opened a four-game series with a 6-4 victory over Arizona.

Morton (3-5) scattered five hits with just one walk and four strikeouts. He threw 57 of his 97 pitches for strikes. Mike Gonzalez was called on during the eighth to put out a four-run fire, and he also pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

Gregor Blanco finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an run batted in while Yunel Escobar also collected two hits with a run scored and two RBI. Brian McCann added two hits and an RBI for Atlanta, which had lost four of six entering play Thursday.

Yusmeiro Petit (1-3) was hit with the loss, giving up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts over five frames. Mark Reynolds hit a three-run homer in the eighth to make things interesting in defeat. Orlando Hudson and Conor Jackson each notched two hits for Arizona, losers in two straight.

Los Angeles beat St. Louis, 4-1, on Thursday to move within 1 1/2 games of Arizona in the National League West

Casey Kotchman's sacrifice fly scored Blanco for a 1-0 advantage in the first frame. The Braves pushed the edge to 2-0 on Kotsay's solo shot in the fifth.

A four-run eighth then gave the Braves a 6-0 edge. Jeff Francoeur singled with one out and moved up to second and then third on a pair of wild pitches from Tony Pena. Greg Norton eventually walked and Blanco drove Francoeur home with a double to left. Escobar's double then scored Norton and McCann followed two batters later with an RBI single.

Arizona mounted an unsuccessful charge in the eighth. Stephen Drew tripled to center with one away and Jackson made it first and third with a HBP. Chad Tracy ripped an RBI single to right-center before Reynolds cut the deficit to 6-4 by drilling a Blaine Boyer pitch out of the park.

Gonzalez then entered to stop the bleeding in the eighth before notching a perfect ninth.