Glavine, Braves Shutout Padres

Tom Glavine and Chipper Jones reminded San Diego just how good the Atlanta Braves are.

Glavine

"Obviously in this series you don't want to get swept even more so than probably any other series," Glavine said.

Otherwise, the left-hander played down the importance of a mid-August series.

"I don't think anything changes about how each team feels because of this series," Glavine said. "I still believe we feel like we've got a great ballclub and I know they feel like they have a great ballclub."

The Braves regained a two-game lead over the Padres in the overall NL standings. With the Braves leading the season series 4-3, the teams will meet again next Thursday and Friday at Atlanta.

"I don't know if we had to send a message," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy said. "We're a good club over here. I think it meant something to the club, winning a couple of games going against a couple of good pitchers (Denny Neagle and Greg Maddux)."

Glavine (16-4), coming off a 5-0 win at San Francisco on Friday, became the NL's second 16-game winner. San Diego's Andy Ashby was the first, outpitching Maddux in the Padres' 5-1 win Wednesday night.

Working te corners of the plate, Glavine faced just four batters over the minimum and extended his streak of scoreless innings to 23. It was his sixth career two-hitter, and he struck out four and walked three.

"He deserved it. He's pitching great," catcher Javy Lopez said.

"I just tried to bear down on them with the respect factor, knowing that if I don't pitch my game, they're going to score some runs," Glavine said.

Glavine, 10-1 with a 1.66 ERA on the road this year, opened with three perfect innings before walking Quilvio Veras leading off the fourth.

The left-hander held San Diego hitless until Carlos Hernandez and Andy Sheets hit consecutive singles opening the sixth. Wally Joyner's one-hopper to Glavine for the first out moved the runners to second and third, but Glavine quickly doused San Diego's only scoring threat.

Glavine said he would have traded a run for an out, but Veras' fly to center wasn't deep enough to bring in the runner from third. Glavine then struck out lefty Steve Finley to end the inning.

"He's one of those guys who has four pitches, but he doesn't have to go past his fastball and changeup too much," San Diego's Ken Caminiti said. "He may have thrown his slider two or three times today."

Chipper Jones homered to right off reliever Scott Sanders with one out in the seventh, his 29th, for a 4-0 lead. Andruw Jones hit an RBI single with two out.

The switch-hitting Chipper Jones, who was 7-for-12 in the series, is 14-for-25 with three homers, nine RBI and six runs on the road trip.

"Right now I'm in one of those stretches where from both sides of the plate I'm seeing the ball really good," Jones said. "Usually you only have a couple of weeks in the season where you're doing it from both sides."

While Glavine was on, the Braves got to Padres starter Mark Langston early. The first five Braves' hits were for extra-bases -- four doubles and a solo homer by Gerald Williams -- to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead after three.

Chipper Jones and Andres Galarraga hit consecutive doubles in the first for a 1-0 lead. Williams homered leading off the third. Chipper Jones followed with a walk and eventually scored on Andruw Jones' two-out double.

Langston (4-5) allowed eight hits and three runs in six innings while striking out a season-high eight and walking one. Fifth in the Padres' rotation, Langston hadn't started since Aug. 1.

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