ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Waldron struck out a career-high 10 and the San Diego Padres bounced back after being swept in their last series, beating the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Friday night.
Waldron (2-5) gave up one run and five hits and walked two in 5 2/3 innings. He kept the Braves off the board after giving up three hits and a run in the first inning.
“Sure, (the first inning) was shaky, but it just means I had to make some adjustments,” Waldron said.
Jurickson Profar was 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored, and Jake Cronenworth was 3 for 5 with an RBI for the Padres, who had 13 hits — all singles.
Jeremiah Estrada recorded his first save of the season with a three-strikeout ninth after the Padres used closer Robert Suarez in the eighth against the heart of the Braves’ order. Padres manager Mike Shildt said he told his closer before the game he may be used earlier.
“We gotta commend Suarez,” Shildt said. “What a good teammate. Not everybody would say, yeah, I’ll take the eighth when you know you are the closer.”
Max Fried (3-2), who was coming off a six-inning, no-hit performance against the Mets, allowed nine hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two in 88 pitches.
The Braves struck out a season-high 18 times.
The Braves threatened in the eighth after a Chadwick Tromp double put runners at second and third with two outs. Suarez struck out Michael Harris II to end the threat.
“For me, it is just a mentality of coming in and pitching in whatever inning I’m told, and today it happened to be the eighth,” Suarez said through an interpreter.
Matt Olson went 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Braves.
The Padres took the lead for good with a three-run third inning after a flurry of singles. Luis Arraez led off with a single to left, and scored two batters later on a single by Profar. Cronenworth followed with an RBI single, and Manny Machado knocked the third run of the game when the Braves failed to turn a double play grounder, thanks to a poor throw by Ozzie Albies. Machado, who went 0 for 4 and is batting .217, was dropped to fifth in the order.
The Braves pushed a run across early in the first inning on an unusual play. With Ronald Acuña Jr. on third and Albies on second, Olson lifted a ball to short left field. Acuña scored easily, but Albies hesitated before breaking for third and was thrown out by Profar.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: RHP Joe Musgrove (right elbow inflammation) threw a bullpen Wednesday and is on track to come off the IL and start Sunday, according Shildt. He is 3-3 with a 6.37 ERA in eight starts this season.
Braves: C Travis d’Arnaud left the game in the sixth inning due to dizziness and was diagnosed with a head contusion and not a concussion. He took a foul ball by Arraez off the front of his facemask in the fifth inning. Braves manager Brian Snitker said he will not start Saturday and will be evaluated before the game … 3B Austin Riley missed his fourth straight game with left side inflammation. Snitker said he will be re-evaluated on Saturday. … Reliever Pierce Johnson was eligible to come off the IL on Friday, but the Braves are gave him one more day to have more bullpen flexibility Saturday and Sunday.
UP NEXT
Braves RHP Bryce Elder (1-1, 4.79) will face Padres RHP Yu Darvish (3-1, 2.43) in the second game of the four-game series. Darvish has not allowed a run in his last three starts covering 17 innings, and the Padres are 5-0 in his last five starts.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
