(Best E Casino) - The Atlanta Braves will try to stay unbeaten this month as they open a seven-game road trip with tonight's first of four straight games against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Atlanta is coming off a perfect six-game homestand in which it swept both Cincinnati and San Diego at Turner Field. In Thursday's 5-4 victory over the Padres in the finale of a three-game series, Matt Diaz ripped an RBI single in the ninth inning to score Yunel Escobar, who went 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored. Greg Norton drove in two runs for the Braves.

Jo-Jo Reyes started on the mound for Atlanta, but left in the third inning with a blister on the index finger of his left hand. He gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits in 2 2/3 innings of work. Buddy Carlyle then took the mound in place of Reyes, but left in the fifth after colliding with Kevin Kouzmanoff. Carlyle had let up one run on one hit with a walk in two innings.

Manny Acosta was credited with the win after getting the final out of the top of the ninth.

The Braves are 4-11 away from home this season and have dropped four straight on the road.

Taking the ball for Atlanta tonight will be veteran Tom Glavine, who is just 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in five starts this season. Glavine, who hasn't recorded a win since beating Houston last September, made his second start since coming off the disabled list with a hamstring injury Sunday versus Cincinnati. He gave up six runs and seven hits with five walks in 4 2/3 innings of a 14-7 win over the Reds, his second straight no decision.

Glavine faced the Pirates on March 31 of this season and did not factor in his team's 12-11 setback. In that game he allowed two runs -- one earned -- in five frames.

The lefty is 22-12 with a 3.09 earned run average in 44 career starts against Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is coming off a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants to open a seven-game homestand. Freddy Sanchez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in Thursday's 5-4 victory, while Jason Bay went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Ryan Doumit drove in a pair of runs for the Pirates, who have won four of their last six contests.

Bucs starter Paul Maholm yielded four runs on six hits in six innings of work for the no decision. Franquelis Osoria got the win for pitching one inning of scoreless relief.

The Pirates are 9-7 in the Steel City this season.

Ian Snell gets the call for the Pirates on Friday, and he is 2-2 with a 5.09 ERA in seven starts this season. Snell is 0-2 in his last four trips to the mound, as he was roughed up for four runs and 10 hits in six innings Sunday at Washington.

Snell faced the Braves on March 31 and did not record a decision after surrendering four runs and seven hits in six innings. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 4.96 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against Atlanta.

Pittsburgh won two of three games against the Braves from March 31-April 3 at Turner Field. Atlanta went 5-1 in last season's series, with a 2-1 record at PNC Park.