Phoenix — The Braves don't score many runs when rookie Charlie Morton pitches, or lately when just about anyone pitches. Thursday, they scored enough.

Barely.

Morton had the best performance of his fledgling career, firing seven scoreless innings of five-hit ball against Arizona and leaving with a 2-0 lead.

Things got a bit dicey after the bullpen took over, but the Braves held on to win 6-4 in the opener of a four-game series at Chase Field.

"Charlie was good tonight," said manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves added four runs in the eighth for a 6-0 lead and held on despite Mark Reynolds' three-run homer off Blaine Boyer in a four-run Arizona eighth.

"We came through with a lot of clutch hits. We didn't leave many on tonight."

It wasn't surprising the Braves scored after Morton (3-5) came out, since they haven't scored more than three runs while he's been in a game in the past nine of his 10 major-league starts.

Casey Kotchman had a first-inning sacrifice fly, and Mark Kotsay hit a fifth-inning solo homer — the first by a Braves outfielder in nearly three weeks — to provide a 2-0 lead for Morton.

The slender right-hander had his second strong performance in a row, posting six strikeouts with no walks to snap his three-start losing streak and lead the Braves to just their fourth win in 13 games.

"My fastball feels better, especially four-seam fastball," Morton said. "My arm feels a little better. I got away with some pitches tonight, but for the most part, I threw pretty well."

Asked what back-to-back outings like this has done for his confidence level, he smiled sheepishly and said, "It helps. For sure, it helps."

Gregor Blanco, Yunel Escobar and Brian McCann had two hits apiece for the Braves, who won the opener of the four-game series against the National League West leaders after dropping two of three games in San Francisco.

The Braves had gone without a home run in nine of 10 games before Kotsay's solo shot off Arizona starter Yusmeiro Petit (1-3). It was Kotsay's first since May 20 and the first by a Braves outfielder in 18 games since Greg Norton hit one July 19.

Braves outfielders rank last in the majors with 21 home runs, and no other NL team had fewer than 28 from outfielders before Thursday.

For the second time in six days, Morton demonstrated why the Braves are optimistic about his chances of contributing big to the 2009 starting rotation.

Saturday against Milwaukee, the amiable rookie went pitch-for-pitch with Brewers ace CC Sabathia, Morton taking a one-hit shutout to the seventh inning before giving up two runs and taking the loss.

He was even better Thursday night, when he found a rhythm and showed no signs of fatigue in his final innings. Morton got six outs in the last five batters he faced, including a double-play grounder and two strikeouts.

Morton also recorded his first hit, a double that he pulled hard to the left-field corner in the third inning. He was promptly picked off second base when he got a bit excited and took too big — way too big — of a lead off second.

"It's there," Cox said of Morton's talent. "It's definitely there. No doubt about that. He's just got to stay away from the bad [games]. He's learning. His mound presence was much better, and we found out tonight he can hit."

His past two starts were particularly encouraging considering what had happened in his two starts before them, when Morton gave up 12 runs, nine hits and eight walks in just 9 1/3 combined innings.

"I know I'm capable of pitching well, but at the same time I'm capable of pitching badly," said Morton, the first to admit a lack of confidence slowed his development for several years in the minors. "It can change in a heartbeat."

Despite some erratic outings, the 24-year-old has allowed five hits or fewer in six of his 10 starts for the Braves since arriving from Class AAA Richmond. Thursday marked his first scoreless game in the majors.

After Boyer gave up four runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning in the eighth, closer Mike Gonzalez retired the last four batters for his fifth save.