Jake Cronenworth broke a 3-3 tie with a solo home run to right field to to give the San Diego Padres a 4-3 lead in route to a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, Sunday.
Manny Machado added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning with a one-out solo home run to right field off Atlanta reliever Dylan Lee.
The bullpen combination of Jason Adam and Robert Suarez worked two scoreless innings to help San Diego win the weekend series. It also earned Suarez his 17th save of the season.
Cronenworth’s home run came off Atlanta starter Spencer Schwellenbach. He was on the mound in the seventh despite allowing a two-run home run to Gavin Sheets in the top of the sixth inning that tied the game, 3-3.
Prior to the Sheets home run, Schwellenbach worked through the San Diego lineup without much issue after allowing a run in the top of the first inning.
Jackson Merrill lined a ball through the infield and into right field in his first plate appearance. The hit allowed Machado to score from second base to give the Padres a 1-0 lead.
The Braves responded in the bottom of the second inning with a run on an Ozzie Albies double to right field that scored Austin Riley to make the score, 1-1.
Atlanta added two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning off San Diego starter Dylan Cease. Nick Allen hit a one-out sacrifice fly that scored Alex Verdugo and moved Albies from second to third. The Braves got their second run of the inning when Martin Maldonado was unable to block a pitch in the dirt that rolled behind him and allowed Albies to score to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead.
Cease worked five innings and allowed three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. Schwellenbach finished his day after seven innings with four runs allowed, two earned, on seven hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
The Padres return home to take on the Miami Marlins, Monday at 5:40 p.m.