PITTSBURGH -- This was not the first time Jeff Locke got to admire and benefit from Gregory Polanco's power and speed.

"It's fantastic," the Pittsburgh starter said Thursday night after Polanco hit a two-run homer and tripled, providing some of the run support for Locke in an 8-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

"I spent the beginning of 2014 in Triple-A with him, and that was like his big coming-out party," Locke said. "He was hitting leadoff and doing things that leadoff guys don't typically do. He's four steps around the base and he's on the next base already. He hits the ball over the fence. He makes great plays. To see him come up here and make that kind of impact at this level, can't say enough about that."

Locke (2-3) gave up two runs and struck out six in seven innings as Pirates won for the fourth time in their past five games, this time on 11 hits.

"I just look at them and they're just a real good-hitting ball club," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. "This is the first time I've seen them, but they just keep coming at you. They're just dangerous guys and you've got to hit your pitches and make your spots and we didn't do that."

Starling Marte, in his first game back from paternity leave, drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, John Jaso was 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored.

Right-hander Wilfredo Boscan, making his major league debut, gave up a single and struck out two in pitching the final two innings for the Pirates.

"Running out to the mound from the bullpen was unbelievable," Boscan said through a Spanish interpreter. "I felt great. I felt confident. It just felt good to be able to produce."

Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz (1-2), facing Pittsburgh for the first time, gave up four earned runs, five total, on seven hits in three innings.

"A lot of hits came with two strikes and they were all up in the zone," Foltynewicz said. "If they were in the bottom of the zone, things might have been different. I just really wanted to get the team a win tonight. I think I just tried to do too much. I tried to throw the ball too hard."

Jeff Francoeur was 3-for-4, including a solo home run in the sixth that pulled the Braves to within 6-2. It was Atlanta's sixth homer of the four-game series after entering the series with only nine, but that didn't stop the Pirates from taking three of the four.

Pittsburgh scored twice in the first. Jaso led off with a single to left. Two outs later, Jung Ho Kang was hit on the back of the knee with a Foltynewicz pitch. Kang and Jaso advanced on a passed ball and scored on Marte's bloop single to right for a 2-0 lead.

Francoeur's single and a walk to Tyler Flowers left Locke with a two-on, no-out situation in the Atlanta second, but the Braves did not score.

"You put two guys on and you maybe feel like you're on the ropes a little bit," Locke said. "It's great to get out of those innings."

The Pirates added three runs in the second with another a two-out rally.

After Chris Stewart and Locke grounded out, Jaso tripled to the right-center field wall and Andrew McCutchen drove in Jaso with a single to right to make it 3-0. That gave McCutchen 612 career hits at PNC Park, tying him with Jack Wilson for the most in the ballpark's history.

Polanco's homer to left stretched Pittsburgh's lead to 5-0.

"It's fun to watch him holding that (No. 3) position in the lineup," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of Polanco. "Getting his swing off at that point in time in the game to give us some separation was real good to see."

The Braves got back-to-back doubles by Francoeur and Flowers to lead off the fourth, pulling Atlanta within 5-1. The Braves have at least one double in 11 straight games.

Polanco led off the Pirates' fifth with a triple off the right-field wall and scored on Kang's sacrifice fly to left for a 6-1 lead.

NOTES: SS Erick Aybar was scheduled to be in the Atlanta lineup but got a chicken bone lodged in his throat earlier in the day. A doctor sedated him and removed it. Daniel Castro started at short instead. ... Braves OF Ender Inciarte was given the day off and was not in the starting lineup. ... In Atlanta's 3-1 victory Wednesday, Braves interim manager Brian Snitker, 62, who is in his 40th season with the organization, became the first manager age 60-plus to get his first major league win since Bobby Mattick did so for Toronto in 1980 at 64. ... Atlanta played the seventh game of a 10-game road trip. It had stops in Kansas City and Pittsburgh before a weekend series at Philadelphia starts Friday. ... With OF Starling Marte back from the paternity list, Pittsburgh optioned INF Alen Hanson to Triple-A Indianapolis. ... The Pirates also brought up RHP Wilfredo Boscan from Indianapolis and optioned LHP Cory Luebke to Triple-A. ... Pittsburgh C Elias Diaz (elbow) was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. ... The U.S. Open trophy was on display in the Pirates' clubhouse before the game. Several players posed for pictures with it. The major golf tournament will be played next month at Oakmont Country Club in suburban Pittsburgh.