Glavine Wins 14th as Braves Win Opener, 7-5

Tom Glavine struggled to his 14th victory as the Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-5, Monday in the first game of a doubleheader.

Greg Olson hit his fifth homer of the season, a solo shot, off Doug Drabek (10-10) in the fourth inning and drew a bases-loaded walk off in the fifth, breaking a 4-4 tie.

Brian Hunter added a two-run homer, his seventh, in the seventh inning off reliever Neal Heaton.

Glavine (14-5) allowed three solo home runs. Gary Redus hit one in the first and Lloyd McClendon hit homers in the second and the eighth.

Glavine gave up seven hits, struck out three and walked two in 7 2/3 innings before being relieved by Marvin Freeman. Freeman finished for his first save of the season.

Jose Lind singled to open the fifth and took second when third baseman Terry Pendleton booted Tom Prince’s grounder for an error. Drabek then sacrificed and Lind scored on Redus’ sacrifice fly. Jay Bell followed with a run-scoring single.

The Braves scored three runs in the first off Drabek. Otis Nixon led off with a single to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, stole second and scored on Pendleton’s double. Tommy Gregg walked and Jeff Treadway scored both runners with a double.

The Pirates had not lost to a starting left-hander since June 15, when Mike Remlinger of San Francisco beat them. Pittsburgh had been 12-0 against lefties during that span.