All it took for the San Diego Padres to suddenly look alive was to face a pitcher making his big league debut. Scott Hairston and Khalil Greene homered to spoil Greg Reynolds' first start, leading the Padres to a 6-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday and their first series win in nearly a month.

Greg Maddux reached another milestone in his long, brilliant career. It might have meant more to a catcher making his big league debut than it did to the pitcher with Hall of Fame credentials. Maddux became the ninth pitcher in big league history to win 350 games, reaching the plateau in his fifth try and leading the San Diego Padres to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

The Atlanta Braves waited until the last inning of a memorable homestand to put an end to a streak of one-run futility they hope to forget. The Braves finally won a one-run game when Matt Diaz hit a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning to beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 Thursday. Atlanta was the first team since the 2000 Houston Astros to lose its first nine one-run games.

Greg Norton was brought to Atlanta to provide some punch in a pinch. On Wednesday night, it was job well done for the Braves' new addition. Norton broke a seventh-inning tie with a bases-loaded, pinch-hit single, and Atlanta beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 for its fifth straight win. "It was big," Norton said.

The Atlanta Braves are proving tough to beat at home, and rookie starter Jair Jurrjens is leading the way. Jurrjens improved to 3-0 at Turner Field by pitching six strong innings and the Braves beat the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Tuesday night to improve the NL's best home record. Jurrjens (4-2) has a 2.84 ERA overall, including a 1.96 mark ERA in three home starts.

Greg Maddux ducked to avoid a line drive single by Luis Gonzalez, and later in the inning he hollered a playful complaint at his longtime nemesis. "When I got to third, Maddux said, `You're supposed to pull the ball,"' Gonzalez said with a smile. Not enough went as planned Sunday for Maddux, who failed in his fourth bid to reach 350 victories.

Jake Peavy got back in the win column despite making a reluctant early exit. Peavy won for the first time in more than three weeks and Tadahito Iguchi hit the go-ahead two-run double to help the San Diego Padres defeat the Florida Marlins 7-2 on Saturday night. Peavy (4-1) allowed two runs, five hits, walked two and struck out eight in 5 2-3 innings.

The Florida Marlins juggled their lineup and the results were positive. Dan Uggla homered twice and drove in four runs, Mark Hendrickson pitched seven effective innings and the Marlins beat the San Diego Padres 6-4 on Friday night. Uggla's second homer, a three-run shot off Justin Germano that traveled over the left-field scoreboard, was followed by a homer by Luis Gonzalez.

Buzzie Bavasi's prime years as a general manager were before free agency, before most players had agents, before virtually every fan and talk show host was a mock executive. Bavasi, who died Thursday at age 92 in the La Jolla area of San Diego, used that power like few others, building Dodger teams that won four World Series titles in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

Ryan Howard drove a low-and-away pitcher's pitch into the seats. That's a sign the slumping slugger is regaining his stroke. Howard hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Thursday night. Howard connected off Joe Thatcher (0-3) leading off the eighth, pulling a 2-0 fastball into the right-field seats.

Count the Phillies' Ryan Howard among those awe-struck by San Diego pitcher Chris Young. "He's 6-10," the big Philadelphia slugger said. "By the time he winds up and throws he's like, half way to the plate." Young pitched six effective innings and Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer, helping the Padres beat the Phillies 4-2 Wednesday night.

Greg Maddux stomped off the mound, took his glove off and nearly slammed it to the ground. He was agitated a pitcher got a hit off him. Cole Hamels frustrated the San Diego Padres even more with his arm. Hamels pitched 7 1-3 impressive innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Padres 7-4 Tuesday night, denying Maddux his 350th career victory.