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Glaus' homer gives Braves 5-4 win over KC
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Atlanta Braves' Troy Glaus (25), second from left, celebrates with teammate Eric Hinske after hitting a walkoff home run to give them a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals a baseball game Saturday, June 19, 2010, in Atlanta. - photo by Associated Press

ATLANTA — Troy Glaus hit a leadoff homer in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.

Brian McCann also homered for the Braves, who have won 13 of 14 at home to improve to 23-7 at Turner Field. Atlanta moved 1½ games ahead of the second-place New York Mets in the NL East.

Glaus' 14th homer came off Robinson Tejeda (2-3).

Billy Wagner (5-0) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win.

Royals starter Zack Greinke fell behind 2-0 in the first. Chipper Jones hit an RBI single, moved to second on the throw and advanced to third on a passed ball. He scored on shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt's throwing error.

McCann's seventh homer, a leadoff shot in the fourth, made it 3-0.

Kansas City cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth on Scott Podsednik's sacrifice fly and Jason Kendall's RBI groundout.

The Braves went ahead 4-2 in the sixth when Jason Heyward scored from second on Glaus' grounder. Third baseman Alberto Callapso tried to begin a double play, but Jones, who was running from first, slid hard enough to knock second baseman Mike Aviles backward onto the ground.

Seeing Aviles was getting up slowly with the ball, Heyward dashed for the plate and scored with a headfirst slide.

Eric O'Flaherty replaced Atlanta starter Kris Medlen with one out in the seventh and runners on second and third, but the Royals tied it 4-all on Podsednik's RBI groundout and Kendall's RBI single.

Greinke, last year's AL Cy Young Award winner, allowed six hits, four runs — three earned — and no walks in seven innings. The right-hander, who struck out five, was making his first career appearance against Atlanta.

In nine road starts this season, Greinke is 1-5 despite a 3.39 ERA. He was coming off a complete-game victory last Sunday at Cincinnati in which he struck out 12, walked none and ended a four-start losing streak during which the Royals' offense went scoreless for 22 straight innings.

Medlen, who was 3-0 in his last four starts, allowed five hits, three runs and two walks in 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander struck out five.

Jonny Venters pitched the eighth for Atlanta, striking out Betancourt with a runner at third.

NOTES: Medlen has made seven consecutive starts in place of RHP Jair Jurrjens, who has missed 47 games with a strained left hamstring. On Saturday at Triple-A Gwinnett, Jurrjens allowed two runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out four. ... Atlanta RHP Takashi Saito (strained left hamstring) will pitch the first inning in a rehab appearance Sunday at Gwinnett. ... Kansas City CF Rick Ankiel had a setback during his minor league rehab assignment and returned to Kansas City for treatment on his right quadriceps.