Padres Go to Bat for Themselves : They Defeat Atlanta, 11-4, to Edge Toward Fourth Place

Though the Padres still are in last place in the National League West Division standings, Manager Larry Bowa says, “We have made unbelievable strides.”

It’s not a contradiction when you consider the Padres 11-4 victory over Atlanta Monday: The improved Padres are playing their way out of the cellar.

The Padres, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves for fourth place, won Monday with strong hitting, scoring five runs in the first inning.

The Padre batters started their attack against Atlanta’s Tom Glavine, a 22-year-old rookie left-hander, and ended with 13 hits against five Brave pitchers.

Chris Brown drove in three runs with his 11th homer and a single. Carmelo Martinez, John Kruk and Garry Templeton each had two RBIs.

“I won’t get so caught up in it that I’ll say, ‘Damn, we finished in the cellar,’ ” Bowa said. “I don’t want to finish last, but we have come too far to worry about that. It isn’t going to put a damper on what we’ve done.”

What the Padres have done has been well-chronicled. They started 12-42, but are 44-39 since June 5, second best in the league over that period.

Bowa credits better catching, saying that Benito Santiago has become the league’s best. He credits Stanley Jefferson, who is playing with confidence. And he credits young pitchers such as Jimmy Jones, who worked 5 innings to get his seventh win in 13 decisions. Jones had some shaky moments, allowing four runs on seven hits. But he benefitted from the Padres’ productive first inning.

“He (Jones) pitched all right,” Bowa said. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but it was hot out there. Getting those runs early helped.”

The victory was Jones’ third over the Braves this season. He allowed a homer to Ken Oberkfell and a scoring double to Dion James, but wasn’t hit that hard overall.

“We are still a long way from being where we want to be, but coming from 12 and 42, well, it’s a tribute to those guys out there. A majority of them never quit, not once.”

Padre Notes Tony Gwynn had a first-inning single and has hit safely in 16 of his last 19 games. The Braves held him hitless for four other at-bats, a moral victory. Gwynn came in hitting .536 (30 for 56) against Atlanta pitching. . . . Ed Whitson (10-10) opposes Pete Smith, making his major league debut, Tonight. . . . Shawn Abner, Randell Byers, Joey Cora and Mark Parent arrived from the Padres’ Las Vegas club. All except Abner played.