Freeman homers twice in Braves' fifth straight victory
ATLANTA -- Dansby Swanson looped a bases-loaded, two-out single to left in the ninth inning to drive in the winning run and give the Atlanta Braves a 5-4 walk-off victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday.
The victory gave Atlanta a sweep of the four-game series, the Braves' first against the Padres since May 2003. Atlanta has won five straight.
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman went 4-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs.
With one out in the ninth, Kurt Suzuki got the rally started with a single against reliever Brandon Maurer (0-1). Pinch runner Chase d'Arnaud went to third with two outs when Emilio Bonifacio dropped a double in front of diving Padres left fielder Allen Cordoba.
After Ender Incarte walked to load the bases, Swanson delivered the game-winning single. The hit fell just in front of Cordoba and skipped past him as d'Arnaud scored.
Jim Johnson (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win.
The Padres grabbed a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning when Austin Hedges hit a two-run opposite-field homer, his second of the season, to right against reliever Arodys Vizcaino.
However, Atlanta evened the score at 4-4 in the bottom half of the eighth on Freeman's solo homer off reliever Ryan Buchter. It was Freeman's fifth of the season, and giving him his second multi-homer game of the year.
Neither starter figured in the decision. Atlanta's Jaime Garcia allowed two runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings, with four strikeouts. San Diego's Jered Weaver gave up three runs, two earned, in six innings with three strikeouts.
The Padres scored a run in the first. Manuel Margot beat out an infield grounder, went to third on a Wil Myers' single and scored on a hit by Yangervis Solarte.
The Braves tied the game at 1-1 in the second. Brandon Phillips reached on an infield single and took second on a bad throw from shortstop Luis Sardinas. Phillips scored on Suzuki's grounder to third.
Atlanta took a 3-1 lead in the third inning when Freeman hit a two-run homer off a hanging breaking ball.
NOTES: San Diego 1B Wil Myers extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the first inning. ... The Padres started Luis Sardinas at shortstop and hit him seventh in the lineup. It was his second start of the season, the other at third base. San Diego manager Andy Green shook up the lineup and hit RHP Jered Weaver in the No. 8 spot and LF Travis Jankowski at the bottom of the lineup ... The Braves said C Tyler Flowers (right hamstring) would not need to go on the disabled list after leaving Sunday's game early with an injury and said OF Matt Kemp (right hamstring strain) could be activated from the 10-day DL on Wednesday. ... Atlanta opens a three-game homestand against Washington on Tuesday. Atlanta RHP Mike Foltynewicz (0-1, 6.35 ERA) will oppose Nationals RHP Max Scherzer (1-1, 2.13 ERA) in the opener. ... San Diego returns home to start a three-game series against Arizona. San Diego RHP Jarred Cosart (0-0, 3.86 ERA) will oppose Diamondbacks RHP Shelby Miller (1-1, 5.06 ERA) in the opener.