The Royals opened the scoring in fortuitous fashion when Jimmy Kebe miscued a shot into the bottom corner in the 58th minute, but Ba's sublime volley restored parity for the Magpies a minute later.
Noel Hunt's header in the 62nd minute from Jobi McAnuff's cross put the hosts ahead for the second time, but again Ba equalised - the Senegal forward's header allowed to stand despite a hint of handball.
Tottenham ended their 23-year wait for a league win at Manchester United with a 3-2 success on Saturday evening.
Spurs led as early as the second minute when Jan Vertonghen played a one-two with Gareth Bale before seeing his shot find the bottom corner via a big deflection off Jonny Evans.
Bale doubled the lead just after the half-hour, racing clear of Rio Ferdinand before coolly slotting the ball past Anders Lindegaard.
United introduced Wayne Rooney at the break and the second half had a breathless start.
Nani reduced the deficit to 2-1 but Spurs hit back almost immediately as Bale's shot was parried by Lindegaard but only as far as Clint Dempsey who had an easy task to score his first Tottenham goal.
United responded again, though, and were soon back just one goal behind as Shinji Kagawa finished smartly from just inside the area.
But despite near constant United pressure, Spurs held on for a third successive Premier League victory and their first at Old Trafford.
Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko struck a late winner as the champions came from behind to win 2-1 at Fulham.
Dzeko slotted home the decisive goal three minutes from time after Sergio Aguero had cancelled out Mladen Petric's early penalty.
Aguero, who damaged his knee against Southampton on the opening weekend of the season, tapped home the follow-up after Mark Schwarzer had parried Carlos Tevez's deflected shot two minutes before the interval.
Petric had sent England goalkeeper Joe Hart the wrong way from the spot after Pablo Zabaleta's foul on John Arne Riise.
In the lunchtime kick-off, Chelsea captain John Terry came through a hostile reception at Arsenal as the Blues consolidated their lead at the top of the table with a 2-1 win.
Fernando Torres fired the visitors ahead following some poor marking by Laurent Koscielny and Juan Mata's free-kick squirmed in to secure three points for the European champions after Gervinho had equalised on the stroke of half-time.
Elsewhere, Luis Suarez netted a Carrow Road hat-trick for the second season running as Liverpool romped to a 5-2 success against Norwich.
The Uruguay striker opened the scoring with a clinical right-footed finish in the second minute and then, seven minutes before the interval, dispossessed Michael Turner and despatched a superb curling shot with the outside of his right foot past John Ruddy to give the Reds a two-goal half-time lead.
Suarez turned provider within two minutes of the restart as on-loan Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin's first Premier League goal extended the visitors' lead, and then completed his treble with another fine curling effort.
Steve Morison pulled one back just after the hour mark but Steven Gerrard's deflected strike midway through the second half restored the Reds' four-goal cushion.
Grant Holt then slid his first goal of the campaign past Jose Reina three minutes from the end but it was scant consolation for the well-beaten Canaries.
Nikica Jelavic notched twice as Everton wrapped up a 3-1 win over Southampton before half-time after the Saints had taken an early lead through Gaston Ramirez's first goal for the club at Goodison Park.
Leon Osman latched onto a loose ball in the penalty area to smash home the equaliser before Jelavic's brace gave the Toffees a half-time cushion.
The Croatia forward first fired a left-footed shot across Paulo Gazzaniga and then directed a powerful header past the Southampton goalkeeper seven minutes before half-time.
Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher continued his fine scoring run since his summer move from Wolves with the winner as the Black Cats toppled 10-man Wigan 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.
After an uneventful first half the game brightened up after the restart when Latics midfielder Jordi Gomez was sent off for a nasty challenge on on-loan Tottenham full-back Danny Rose.
The Black Cats took only four minutes to make their extra man count, Fletcher turning home James McClean's cross-shot for what turned out to be the winner.
Stoke's Peter Crouch was at the double to give his team a 2-0 triumph against Swansea at the Britannia Stadium.
The 6ft 7in frontman headed home the opener after 12 minutes and then tapped in a second nine minutes before the break.