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Denorfia, Padres down Braves

Jul 26, 2014 - 7:32 AM Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris Denorfia scored twice and drove in a run among his three hits to lead the San Diego Padres to a 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a four-game set on Friday.

Tommy Medica finished with a career-high four hits and an RBI single and Rene Rivera supplied two hits and drove in a run for the Padres, who have won three straight and five of their last six.

Jesse Hahn (6-2), recalled from Triple-A El Paso prior to the game, surrendered just one run on three hits with four strikeouts in six strong innings to earn the win, his sixth in his last seven starts.

"I felt good tonight," said Hahn. "I had great defense behind me and we hit the ball well."

Freddie Freeman had two of Atlanta's four hits and scored twice for the Braves, which have dropped four of their last five. Starter Alex Wood (7-8) was reached for 12 hits and five runs -- four earned -- across five frames.

"I've never seen so many groundballs get through the infield," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "That's the bottom line. He gave up (12 hits) and seven or eight of them were on the ground."

Denorfia and Yangervis Solarte led off the game with back-to-back singles. Two batters later. Medica opened the scoring with an RBI single into left field. Wood walked Jeff Francoeur to load the bases, but Chris Nelson grounded into a double play to end the frame.

Carlos Quentin doubled to center and Medica singled to left to place men at the corners in the third. Nelson's sacrifice fly to center two batters later brought in Quentin for a 2-0 advantage.

Denorfia brought home Amarista, who hit a leadoff single, with a base hit up the middle and advanced to third after B.J. Upton's throw home was off target. Solarte's sac fly to left plated Denorfia.

In the fifth, Rivera's two-out liner into left scored Francoeur, increasing the Padres lead to 5-0.

The Braves finally generated offense in the sixth. Freeman tripled to deep center with one out and came home on Justin Upton's sac fly to left.

Atlanta loaded the bases with two outs during the eighth off a Freeman single and consecutive walks to Justin Upton and Jason Heyward. Joaquin Benoit then walked Evan Gattis to usher in a run and make it a 5-2 game.

Benoit struck out two in a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Game Notes

Padres starters have allowed three earned runs or fewer in 27 of their last 29 games ... San Diego has won eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams dating back to Aug. 27, 2012 ... Padres leadoff hitters got aboard in each of the first five innings ... Medica hit seven straight times over his past two games.