SAN DIEGO– Maybe the hitting-challenged Braves didn't deserve to win Sunday, but after giving a 1-0 lead to Jonny Venters in the eighth inning, they had every reason to believe they would.
Things went sideways on the Braves and their usually unbreakable reliever. Venters gave up four hits and four runs while recording two outs against San Diego in a 4-1 Braves loss that gave the Padres a series win at Petco Park.
The left-hander was late on a throw to first and had a grounder skip off his glove to spoil a potential bases-loaded escape before the inning cratered.
“He’s human,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Venters, charged with more earned runs (four) in two-thirds of an inning than in 48-1/3 previous innings. “We’ve come to expect perfection. Today it just didn’t happen.
“Needless to say, it’s tough to try to get six outs with a one-run lead.”
The Braves got six scoreless innings from starter Tim Hudson, but mustered just two hits and lost for the seventh time in their past 13 games. They’ve scored scored three runs or fewer in six of those seven losses, including two runs on four hits in Friday’s series-opening loss to the Padres.
Venters (4-1) blamed only himself for Sunday’s loss.
“I felt fine, I just didn’t make any pitches,” he said, “and I blew the game for my team. Try to forget about it and move on to tomorrow.”
He got his second blown save and first loss in his majors-leading 44th appearance. His ERA more than doubled, from a majors-leading 0.56 to 1.29.
“We were able to break through against one of the best left-handers in the game -- probably an All-Star,” San Diego manager Bud Black said.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the eighth when Jordan Schafer hit a two-out double misplayed by center fielder Cameron Maybin, allowing Eric Hinske to score from first.
The other Braves hit was a Nate McLouth double in the third against left-hander Cory Luebke. Moved from the bullpen to make his first start of the season, Luebke allowed one hit and two walks with six strikeouts in five innings.
“We didn’t play very well,” Schafer said. “Obviously we didn’t have a bunch of hits. [But] it looked like we were going to steal one and get out of here. Funny how it works sometime.”
Hudson gave up six hits and three walks, but had eight strikeouts and worked out of a couple of jams. He induced a bases-loaded double-play grounder to get out of the second inning, and stranded two runners in the fifth and sixth.
“It was a little different that my last game, but I still felt pretty good out there,” said Hudson, who pitched eight innings of two-hit ball in Monday’s 2-0 win against Toronto.
Eric O’Flaherty and Scott Linebrink got the Braves through a scoreless seventh, which left Venters and closer Craig Kimbrel lined up to work the last two innings and close out a 1-0 win.
Venters walked Chris Denorfia to start the eighth.
“One-nothing lead, you don’t want to come in and walk the leadoff guy,” Venters said. “But I had a chance to get out of it. I just couldn’t make the play.”
Maybin followed with a swinging bunt to the left side, and Venters came off the mound and fielded it. He was too slow releasing his throw, which allowed the speedy runner to beat it by a half-step.
After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Jesus Guzman was walked intentionally to load the bases. Will Venable followed by popping up a bunt that Venters caught for the second out.
That made hitters 0-for-9 with bases loaded against Venters.
Then Jason Bartlett hit a grounder to the right side of the mound that Venters tried to field. The ball skipped off his glove and rolled slowly to the front edge of the infield in front of shortstop Alex Gonzalez, a tying single.
“I don’t know if that ball goes through or if Gonzo makes a play on it [if Venters had let it go],” Fredi Gonzalez said. “It’s just one of those things.”
Orlando Hudson followed with a bases-loaded groundball single to center that brought in two runs, and Chase Headley added another RBI single to center.
“ I just didn’t get it done,” Venters said.
Neither did Braves hitters. Again.
