A's drop fourth in a row

ATLANTA -- Mark Kotsay knocked in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning with a two-out RBI double, and the Atlanta Braves edged the A's 3-2 Friday night for their eighth straight home victory.

The loss was a season-high fourth in a row for the A's, who have dropped six of seven on their current nine-game road trip.

The Braves, who lost five of seven on a road trip that ended Thursday in a 5-0 loss to Philadelphia, have the best home record in the majors at 15-4. They also have the worst record away from home at 6-16.

"There's no rhyme or reason why we win at home," said Jeff Francoeur, who drove in Atlanta's first run with a single. "It's unbelievable."

Kotsay's double to right-center scored Chipper Jones, who had singled off Alan Embree to open the eighth inning. Embree (1-2) retired Mark Teixeira and Francoeur before giving up a single to Brian McCann, who went 3-for-4, that sent Jones to third and brought up Kotsay.

"Obviously, Alan is a power pitcher. I won this battle, but he's won a lot more," said Kotsay, who previously was 1-for-8 against Embree. He swung and missed the first 93 mph fast ball from the left-hander, but connected on the next one.

"It was up and he put a swing on it," Embree said. "It's very frustrating."

Manny Acosta (2-1) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. The Braves tied it at 2 in the sixth on RBI hits by Francoeur and McCann.

Eveland allowed six hits, two runs, walked three and struck out four in 5» innings.

"I pitched much like I have been. I've been pretty consistent," he said. "Our team is solid. We have peaks and valleys. We'll be out of it soon."

The A's, who scored only two runs in three losses at Cleveland, matched that total in the second inning with a pair of unearned runs and could have had more were it not for poor baserunning.

Kurt Suzuki opened with a single off Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens, ending an 0-for-23 slump. Ryan Sweeney then doubled to the gap in right-center, but Suzuki was tagged out when he was nearly halfway home and attempted to retreat back to third.

Donnie Murphy then walked and Eveland bunted right to Jurrjens, whose throw home went wild for an error and allowed Sweeney to score. Murphy later scored on a bouncer to first, and Bobby Crosby followed with a single to right, but Eveland was thrown out at the plate by Francoeur with catcher McCann making a diving tag.