Escobar keeps cool to lead Braves past Pirates

After restraining himself enough to avoid getting ejected during a first-inning dispute over a strike-three call, Yunel Escobar made Pittsburgh pitchers pay the price for the rest of the night.

Escobar’s two-run single in the seventh inning — his third hit of the game — gave the Braves a 4-3 lead, and they held on to win by that score against the Pirates on Tuesday night at Turner Field.

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Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar argues with home plate umpire Dana DeMuth after a strike three call for an out during first inning action against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Turner Field.

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“It felt good to drive in the two runs, and the team won — that’s the most important thing,” Escobar said through a translator. “It was my day.”

Derek Lowe (7-3) pitched seven strong innings and improved to 7-0 in seven starts against the Pirates, and the Braves won their third game in a row since moving new center fielder Nate McLouth to the leadoff role.

It marked the first time since May 15 — a stretch of 22 games — that the Braves scored at least three runs in three straight games.

“It was a win we should be proud of, after I fell behind 3-1,” said Lowe, who allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings. “It was one of those stick-to-it wins. We never gave up.

“The last three games have been a step in the right direction.”

Rafael Soriano pitched a hitless ninth inning for his fifth save after lefty closer Mike Gonzalez pitched a perfect eighth with one strikeout.

Manager Bobby Cox said last month he would use Soriano to close and Gonzalez to set up sometimes, depending on which hitters were due up in the eighth.

Soriano, who pitched two scoreless innings in Monday’s 15-inning win, told Cox when he arrived Tuesday that he was ready to pitch again.

He had to work out of some trouble in the ninth, after Robinzon Diaz reached on a two-out, two-base error by third baseman Chipper Jones. With the potential tying run at second, Soriano struck out Jack Wilson.

“He really wants to win; he’ll do anything to win,” Cox said of Soriano, who lowered his ERA to 0.98 in 26 appearances, with 37 strikeouts and nine walks in 27-2/3 innings. “Gonzo’s the same way. They want to win.”

Gonzalez said of the switched order: “I don’t have a problem with it at all. When you’ve got a talented arm like Soriano, you use it. We’ve done it three times, and every time it’s been successful. You don’t second-guess that.”

The Braves have totaled 18 runs and 39 hits in three games since McLouth moved into the leadoff spot. He hit third in his first two games after the Braves got him last week in a trade from the Pirates.

He has helped beat his former team twice in as many nights, producing a single and a walk Tuesday after going 3-for-7 on Monday. One of the three prospects the Braves sent to the Pirates, right-hander Charlie Morton, is scheduled to start Wednesday’s game in his major-league season debut.

The Braves have assured themselves of at least a split of the four-game series with the Pirates, and improved to 4-3 on the nine-game homestand (it was a scheduled 10-gamer, but one against Chicago got rained out).

Before the current three-game winning streak, the Braves hit only .211 over 11 games (3-8) and scored two runs or fewer seven times during that period.

On Tuesday, they trailed 1-0 before hot-hitting Jones drove in a run with a two-out single in the third inning. Lowe then gave up two more runs in the fourth on Diaz’s two-out double.

The Braves got three consecutive hits to start the sixth, including an RBI single by Brian McCann. But Garret Anderson grounded into a double play and Greg Norton hit a weak groundout to the right side to end the inning.

Norton made his first start of the season, filling in at first base for Martin Prado (sore groin), who’s been filling in for starter Casey Kotchman, who is on the disabled list with a calf strain.