Anaheim, Calif. — If Charlie Morton had known the major leagues would be this easy, the Braves prospect might have tried to get here sooner.

Morton said he was nervous, but he looked otherwise Saturday night when he pitched six strong innings in a 9-4 win against the Los Angeles Angels in his major-league debut at a packed Angel Stadium.

"Felt pretty good, once it was over with," said the slender, hard-throwing right-hander, who allowed three runs, five hits and one walk with four strikeouts. "Kind of up-and-down, a few rough spots, but I got through it with a pretty decent start."

He was far better than decent, keeping the Angels under control until the Braves took the lead with four runs in the fifth inning. From there they cruised to a victory that assured their first series win on the road in two months.

Rookie outfielder Brandon Jones, Morton's Class AAA Richmond teammate until a few days ago, had three hits including his first home run, helping his pal win his debut as Morton outpitched Ervin Santana (8-3) in front of a crowd of 43,894.

"The Richmond boys are doing it," said manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves have won the first two of a three-game series against the American League West leaders after coming to California mired in a six-game losing skid.

"Charlie had a good debut. He could be very special," said Cox, who confirmed that Morton would stay with the Braves and get another start. He filled in for injured Tom Glavine, who isn't expected back until at least the All-Star break.

"When you throw 94 [miles per hour] and you can throw three pitches for strikes and stay off [bat] barrels, and your offense scores nine runs, you're going to win," Chipper Jones said, smiling. "It was good to help get him his first win."

Brandon Jones, who was called up from Richmond on Wednesday, has five hits in the past two games, helping the Braves to consecutive wins on a trip for the first time since April 11-12 at Washington.

"Unbelievable," Cox said of the rookie's first two starts in left field for Atlanta, after he had hit only .253 with two homers in 54 games at Richmond. "He's been struggling some at Richmond. [But] he's doing great [here]."

"People always told me it's the same thing here as in the minor leagues," said Jones, whose only previous big-league experience was a September callup. "I'm getting good pitches to hit, and I'm hitting them."

Jones and Kelly Johnson homered in the sixth inning off Santana, Johnson's two-out shot chasing the flamethrower from the game.

The Angels have lost as many in two nights as they did in their previous 11 games, and as many as they lost in their previous 14 interleague home games.

The Braves lost 17 of 20 road games before this series. They were swept by the Cubs to start the 10-game trip.

Three days after leaving Chicago in a mood approaching despair, the Braves are suddenly going for their first road sweep of the season tonight in a nationally televised game.

Morton, 24, didn't arrive in Anaheim until 2:30 a.m. Saturday after having three flights delayed by weather in Richmond. He eventually drove to Washington, D.C., to catch a flight.

He looked at ease when the game began, relying on 91-94 mph fastballs and sinkers with some quality changeups and curveballs to keep hitters off-balance. Watching the former Braves third-round draft pick work, it was hard to comprehend how he struggled for five undistinguished seasons in the low minors.

His turnaround came after adjustments — mental and physical — late last season under the tutelage of Class AA Mississippi pitching coach Derek Botelho.

The 6-foot-4 New Jersey native had a considerably larger audience Friday, and his growing confidence and maturity were evident. He struck out the first two batters he faced, Chone Figgins and hot-hitting Maicer Izturis.

He retired the first seven he faced before Gary Matthews Jr. hit a triple beyond the outstretched glove of left fielder Jones, who tried a diving catch.

Izturis's two-run double in the third gave the Angels a 2-0 lead, but Morton induced an inning-ending groundout by Vladimir Guerrero with two on.

He retired the Angels in order in the fourth and fifth innings, and the Braves had a 6-2 lead before Torii Hunter's RBI double in the sixth.

Many fans came to their feet in anticipation after Morton hit the next batter to bring Howie Kendrick to the plate with two runners on. They sat back down after he struck out Kendrick to end the inning.