Braves Get There First to Win : Baseball: Atlanta ties Dodgers for NL West lead by scoring six runs in top of the first inning in 6-3 victory over the Reds.

Atlanta’s Tom Glavine has developed a disturbing habit of giving up runs in the first inning--12 in his last five starts.

But when Glavine took the mound in the first inning Wednesday night at Cincinnati, he already had a six-run lead. He won, 6-3, to become the first 20-game winner in the majors this season.

The Braves’ victory, coupled with the Dodgers’ 9-4 loss to the San Diego Padres, brought Atlanta into a tie with the Dodgers for the National League West Division lead. Both teams have 92-67 records.

Atlanta’s victory began as a reversal of Tuesday night’s game in which the Reds scored six times in the first inning, only to have the Braves win, 7-6, on David Justice’s two-run home run in the ninth.

After the Braves, who have won six in a row in their drive toward the championship in the NL West, knocked out Scott Scudder in the first inning, Cincinnati scored twice in its half.

Although he struggled with his control, Glavine kept his lead, with Alejandro Pena finishing up.

Atlanta broke out champagne in honor of Glavine’s 20th victory, and the Braves were in a celebrating mood for another reason.

“We knew if we were even or just a game behind going home, there’d be a good chance of at least forcing a playoff,” Glavine said. “It’ll be sweet to go back home and get in first place or maybe clinch it.”

The Braves were ready to enjoy a flight home after a perfect trip that gave them a 46-35 road record.

“It’s impossible to have a better one,” Manager Bobby Cox said. “It looks as if we needed six in a row, and we got them. We had to do it.”

While Glavine, who struggled to a 10-12 record last season, reached his milestone, Terry Pendleton took over the batting lead.

Pendleton tripled in the first run and scored the second. He also had a single and raised his average to .319. He is one point ahead of the Reds’ Hal Morris.

Glavine gave up five hits and walked three and was helped by three double plays.

The Braves headed home for their last three games against the last-place Houston Astros.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team score six runs in the first inning one night, and the other team comes back and scores six in the first inning the next night and gets shut out the rest of the way, too,” Cox said.