ECM PADRES REPORT: PADRES ACTUALLY TRY, BUT BRAVES WALK IT OFF FOR THE SWEEP
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Story by Liz Alper
Photo via @Padres on Twitter
April 17, 2017 (Atlanta) - They may have already lost the series, but tonight, the Padres had one last chance to redeem themselves and avoid a sweep by the Braves. Jered Weaver started on the mound for San Diego against Jaime Garcia for the Braves.
You know the drill. Yan Solarte singled in the first to score Manuel Margot and the Padres led 1-0.
In the second, Kurt Suzuki hit a sac groundout to score Brandon Phillips and tie the game at one. Same stuff, different day.
The prophecy came true in the third. Freddie Freeman knocked a two-run homer out of the park and the Braves jumped ahead 3-1.
This game was different from the last three in the series in that the Padres actually displayed an effort. Allen Cordoba homered in the seventh to make the score 3-2. Then in the eighth, Austin Hedges hit a two-run homer--his first big league home run--to put the Padres in front 4-3.
But Freeman struck again in the Braves’ half of the eighth with his second homer of the game to tie the game at four.
Dansby Swanson saved the game from going into extra innings with a single that scored Chase D’Arnaud and the Braves got the walk-off sweep with a 5-4 win.
The Pads return home to Petco tomorrow night to face the NL West rival Diamondbacks. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. Shelby Miller starts on the hill for Arizona against Jared Cosart for San Diego.