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ATLANTA -- Pitcher Jake Peavy proved on his 35th birthday that he's still able to perform at a very high level. The veteran right-hander celebrated his birthday by throwing seven scoreless innings, getting a hit and scoring a run in the San Francisco Giants' 4-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday at Turner Field.
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"What a beautiful game he pitched," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who joked and added, "if he wasn't turning 35 today, I might have left him in there."
Giants relievers George Kontos, Josh Osich, Cory Gearrin and Javier Lopez completed a combined one-hitter.
Peavy (2-5) won for the first time since April 23 and earned his first career victory at Turner Field. He faced the minimum batters in his seven innings and allowed only one hit. He struck out three, did not allow a walk, and threw 57 of his 77 pitches for strikes.
"You've got to tip your cap to him," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "We hit a couple balls hard but nothing to match him. It was some performance for his birthday."
Bochy said Peavy was able to command his fastball, which had good movement.
"He had everything working," Bochy said "He was just on."
Peavy scored a run in the sixth inning to break up a scoreless tie. The rally started innocently when Peavy reached first with two outs on a broken-bat single that just escaped the infield. Peavy was running on the next pitch and easily scored when Denard Span lined a triple into the gap in right-center.
"Jake is so competitive," Bochy said. "They were playing behind him and he took off on his own. In the back of my mind I'm thinking he might be trying to go and he probably thinks he got a good jump."
The Giants put the game away by scoring three times in the eighth inning. After San Francisco loaded the bases, pinch hitter Matt Duffy -- batting for Peavy -- lifted a sacrifice fly against reliever Chris Withrow.
Lefty Eric O'Flaherty allowed two runs to score. Span drove a run home with a single over the drawn-in infield, and Joe Panik pushed across a run with an infield out.
Bochy had talked with Peavy before pinch hitting and received on pushback from the pitcher.
"We had to go for it there," Bochy said. "That's a situation where we had a chance to put a crooked number up."
Span finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
"That last one was big," Bochy said.
Atlanta right-hander Matt Wisler (2-5) pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on four hits and two walks, with two strikeouts.
"That's probably the best I've felt all year," Wisler said. "That's probably the best I've felt mechanically."
The first five innings were dominated by the starting pitchers. Peavy retired the first 12 Atlanta batters he faced until Tyler Flowers led off the fifth with a single, only to be erased in a double play. The Giants managed only two hits against Wisler through the first five innings, and both were wiped out a double plays.
"(Wisler) was good," Snitker said. "Everything was free and easy and nice. It's a shame would couldn't put a few runs up for him."
Peavy, the 2007 Cy Young winner, reduced his ERA from 7.26 to 6.34 after Tuesday's game.
NOTES: The Braves traded veteran RHP Jason Grilli and cash to Toronto in exchange for minor league RHP Sean Ratcliffe. Grilli was the closer last year before rupturing his left Achilles tendon. This year, he has two saves but ceded the closer's job to Arodys Vizcaino. The Braves recalled Ryan Weber from Triple-A Gwinnett. ... San Francisco RHP Johnny Cueto was named National League Pitcher of the Week. In two starts, Cueto was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA, striking out 11 in 15 innings. ... San Francisco started Conor Gillaspie at third base Tuesday in place of Matt Duffy, who sustained a left wrist contusion when hit by a pitch Monday. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy said RHP Sergio Romo complained of soreness in his right elbow and will not pitch again on his rehab assignment for four or five days. Bochy said OF Angel Pagan (left hamstring) should return when he is eligible to come off the DL on June 8. ... Atlanta RHP Williams Perez (2-1, 3.71) starts Wednesday against Giants LHP Albert Suarez, who will make his major league debut.
