Hit-machine Prado sparks Braves to 6-2 win

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Martin Prado extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a first inning home run to spark the Atlanta Braves to a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres Thursday.

Prado, whose streak started last season against the Washington Nationals in October, finished 2-for-5 as Atlanta took the decider in their three-game series with the Padres and finished a six-game West Coast road trip 3-3.

"It could have been better, but it could have been worse, too," Atlanta's Chipper Jones told reporters, having missed the first three games of the trip with a stomach injury.

"Any time you come back from the West Coast and you're .500 or better for the trip, you're happy. It was not an easy trip, travel-wise."

Atlanta starter Tim Hudson tossed 5 2/3 innings for his first win of the season, while highly touted rookie Jason Heyward collected two hits and two RBIs, including a run-scoring double in the eighth after the home side had clawed back to 3-2.

The win completed a stunning turnaround for Atlanta (5-4), who won the second match of the series 6-1 Wednesday, two days after suffering an embarrassing 17-2 defeat to San Diego (3-6) in the opener.

The Braves were boosted by fine pitching by second-year starter Tommy Hanson Wednesday and another quality outing from veteran Hudson, who has made a strong comeback from surgery for an arm injury that restricted him to just seven starts last season.

The 34-year-old Hudson had a 3-0 lead and took a shutout into the sixth inning before allowing a solo home run to Will Venable. The Padres added another run in the sixth when Everth Cabrera came through with an RBI single.

Padres starter Mat Latos took the loss after allowing three runs in 4 2/3 innings.

(Reporting by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)