The Braves got a multihomer, ninth-inning rally in the series opener, a quality start from Tim Hudson in Game 2, a tape-measure, drought-ending homer from Justin Upton in the series finale Wednesday and more hits than the Padres in every game.
Oh, and they also got swept.
The Padres scored three runs in the first inning and cruised to a 5-3 win Wednesday at Petco Field, becoming the first National League team to sweep the Braves in a three-game series this season and continuing their recent road woes.
The Braves lost five games on the seven-game Southern California trip and fell to 6-12 in their past 18 road games, compared with 13-2 in their past 15 at Turner Field.
“I tell you what, take nothing away from the Padres, but this was a weird series,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We outhit them in all three games. Nevertheless, we lost all three. Let’s not forget that. But our guys busted their (expletive) every single night.”
After playing 20 games in 20 days, the Braves have a day off Thursday before an eight-game homestand that starts Friday against San Francisco. They’ll play three against the Giants, then five against the New York Mets, including a Tuesday doubleheader to make up a May 4 rainout.
Paul Maholm (7-5) ended a five-start unbeaten stretch when he allowed seven hits, five runs (four earned) and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, including a 25-pitch first inning with three singles, two walks and an error by second baseman Dan Uggla.
“I was just trying to get a ground ball, and I was missing down,” said Maholm, who had been 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA in his previous five starts. “I didn’t feel great in the first inning, but I was throwing the ball pretty close to where I wanted to. It’s not like they were crushing the ball.”
The inning began poorly for Maholm when he walked speedy leadoff man Everth Cabrera. One out later, Chase Headley singled, then Uggla fielded a ground ball behind second and tried to toss the ball to shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who was covering the base. The ball landed with a thud out of Simmons’ reach.
“I should have made that play,” Uggla said. “It’s my responsibility. I was trying to lead him. Just one of those weird plays that just didn’t get made.”
That loaded the bases, and Maholm, completely out of character, walked Kyle Blanks to bring in the first run. Logan Forsythe followed with a two-run single that bounced into center field, and the Padres had a 3-0 lead.
Padres starter Edinson Volquez (5-5) had a season-high nine strikeouts in seven innings and limited the Braves to one run, six hits and three walks. The Braves struck out 13 times in nine innings.
Upton, who had hit .216 with only two homers in his past 36 games since a 12-homer April, had a run-scoring single in the third inning and ended a 21-game homerless stretch with a towering solo homer in the eighth. It had been 87 at-bats without a home run since his May 17 grand slam off Dodgers left-hander Paco Rodriguez.
The Braves threatened again in the ninth, when Jordan Schafer’s pinch-hit single cut the lead to 5-3. After a two-out single by Jason Heyward put runners on the corners, Upton struck out looking on a 2-2 fastball from right-hander Nick Vincent, who had just returned from Triple-A.
