Braves fall to last-place Padres

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By David O’Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Against last-place San Diego and a rookie making his eighth start, the Braves looked like anything but a playoff contender Tuesday night.

Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com GOING DOWN IN THE 12TH - Atlanta Braves pitcher #54 Kris Medlen gives up a rbi double to Padres #22 David Eckstein for the game winning run scoring # 4 Nick Hundley to beat the Braves 2-1 in the 12th inning at Turner Field, Atlanta, Tuesday.

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They showed resiliency to send the game to extra innings, but the Padres won 2-1 on David Eckstein’s two-out RBI double in the 12th inning before approximately 4,000 fans who remained from a sparse crowd at Turner Field.

Adam LaRoche’s two-out RBI single in the ninth drove in the tying run, but the Braves left the bases loaded in the 10th, and Kris Medlen gave up the winning run on a pair of doubles in the 12th.

“A night of missed opportunities,” said manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves left eight runners on base in the eighth through 10th innings and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. “We couldn’t have pitched any better. Just couldn’t get the hit when it meant something.”

The Braves wasted bases-loaded opportunities in the eighth as well as the 10th, and wasted an opportunity to gain a game on National League East-leader Philadelphia.

Jair Jurrjens got no decision after allowing one run and five hits in 7-2/3 innings, including Adrian Gonzalez’s two-out homer in the third. The Braves have scored one or no runs while Jurrjens was in the game in half of his 14 home starts.

When someone asked Jurrjens if he thought it was one of his better starts this season, he was in no mood to judge.

“I’m not thinking about whether it was a quality start or not — it really doesn’t matter right now,” he said. “We lost a game we needed to win. Especially against a team like this.”

The Padres came in 22 games under .500 and 22-1/2 out of first in the NL West. Rookie right-hander Mat Latos had given up 15 hits, 12 runs and seven walks in 7-2/3 innings over his past two starts.

Latos allowed two hits and no walks in seven scoreless innings Tuesday.

“It’s disappointing,” said Medlen (3-4), who gave up doubles by Nick Hundley and Eckstein in the 12th, both on first-pitch fastballs. “The Padres come in here in last place, but they’re a major-league team. Latos did a good job.”

Between the two doubles, Medlen recorded two strikeouts and a walk.

“I tried to get ahead in the count, and [Hundley] crushed it,” said Medlen, who had a 0.93 ERA in 13 previous appearances since the All-Star break. “Eckstein’s a contact hitter. I think he was looking for a fastball, and he hit it.”

It was the sixth consecutive opening loss for the Braves in series of three games or more. They’ve rebounded to win four of five of those previous series.

They didn’t have a base runner until the fifth and put only one in scoring position all night against Latos.

The Braves loaded the bases in the 10th on three walks, including an intentional two-out walk to Chipper Jones. After pinch-hitter David Ross walked to fill the bases, lefty Joe Thatcher struck out Garret Anderson.

They had loaded them in the eighth before Martin Prado struck out to end the inning. He went 0-for-6 in his first game after being out a week for headaches.

In the ninth, Brian McCann hit a one-out single and Anderson walked before Yunel Escobar struck out. LaRoche came through with his two-out, gap single.

Matt Diaz then tried a surprise attack via a two-out bunt, but he stroked it too hard to first base for the third out to send the game to extra innings.

Jones continued to struggle, going 0-for-4 to make him 1-for-28 with one RBI in his past nine games.

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