Braves 7, Pirates 3: Jason Heyward and Andrelton Simmons started the contest with back-to-back homers to fuel a six-run first inning and lead visiting Atlanta past reeling Pittsburgh in the opener of a three-game series.

Chris Johnson and Gerald Laird had an RBI apiece as part of a 15-hit attack for the Braves, who snapped a tie with the Pirates and pulled within a game of the second wild-card spot in the National League. Ervin Santana (13-6), who chipped in a run-scoring groundout in the six-run first, gave up three runs - all on solo homers - in 5 1/3 innings to get the win.

Starling Marte had two of the three Pittsburgh homers and also doubled while Neil Walker also went deep. Vance Worley (5-3) recovered from the rocky beginning to give up six runs (five earned) in six innings as the Pirates extended their longest losing streak of the year to six contests and dropped two games out in the wild-card race.

Heyward launched Worley's third pitch of the night deep to right to begin the scoring and Simmons smacked a 2-0 offering to left for a quick 2-0 lead. Johnson and Laird had run-scoring singles later in the frame and both eventually scored to cap the rally.

Marte led off the second and the fourth innings with home runs and Walker went deep in the third but the Pirates wasted an opportunity in the sixth, when they had runners on second and third with no outs. Santana struck out the last man he faced and reliever Luis Avilan got Ike Davis to line into a double play to end the threat. Heyward added a sacrifice fly in the eighth and Atlanta's bullpen combined on 3 2/3 scoreless frames in the club's fourth straight win.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pirates All-Star CF Andrew McCutchen (rib) took live swings Monday and said he plans to play Tuesday, the first day he is eligible to come off the disabled list. ... Santana is 6-0 since the All-Star break. ... Pirates LF Travis Snider had a single and a double in four trips to the plate and is hitting .412 during a nine-game hitting streak.