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Padres sweep Braves

Jun 13, 2013 - 1:52 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Chris Denorfia and Logan Forsythe each drove in two runs to back seven quality innings out of Edinson Volquez, and the San Diego Padres completed their first three-game home sweep of the Atlanta Braves in eight years with a 5-3 triumph at Petco Park.

After being battered for nine runs and 11 hits in just 2 1/3 innings at Colorado's Coors Field last Friday, Volquez (5-5) bounced back strongly in the comfortable confines of Petco Park. The right-hander held the Braves to one run while scattering six hits and registering a season-best nine strikeouts.

Denorfia helped his pitcher out with a two-run homer off Paul Maholm in the bottom of the fifth, while Jesus Guzman collected a pair of hits in San Diego's sixth victory in its last eight games.

"They're a really good team and a solid organization," Padres manager Bud Black said of the Braves. "So to win three games, it's a huge pat on the back for our guys."

Maholm (7-5) was reached for five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings to be dealt his first loss since May 11.

Justin Upton knocked in two of Atlanta's runs with a single and a solo homer, with Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman also finishing with two hits in the setback.

The Braves concluded a seven-game West Coast trip at 2-5 and were swept in San Diego for the first time since May 16-18, 2005.

"That's the way baseball is sometimes, you run into a hot team and you don't get any breaks," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez remarked. "I'm really proud of our club the way they kept battling."

Maholm had his fate sealed by a rough opening inning in which the Padres sent eight men to the plate while putting up three runs.

San Diego loaded the bases with one out on a leadoff walk to Everth Cabrera, a Chase Headley single and a throwing error charged to Atlanta second baseman Dan Uggla on a force attempt. Maholm then forced in the first run with a free pass to Kyle Blanks, and Forsythe followed with a single up the middle to drive in two more and stake the Padres to a quick 3-0 edge.

Maholm found a groove afterward, retiring 11 straight batters at one point before Cabrera reached on an infield single in the fifth in front of Denorfia's line-drive blast into the seats in left that extended the lead to 5-1.

Volquez's only major trouble came in the third, when the Braves strung together three straight hits capped by Upton's bloop single that brought home Andrelton Simmons. He averted further damage by getting the dangerous Freeman to ground into an inning-ending double play, then stymied the Atlanta lineup over the remainder of his stint.

The Braves didn't get a runner past second through the final four innings of Volquez's outing, which he wrapped up by striking out the side in the seventh.

"He's got three weapons every time he takes the mound," Black said of Volquez. "It's just a matter of whether he gets them in the strike zone. "When he's in the strike zone, you have games like today."

Upton walloped a slider from Joe Thatcher into the left-field upper deck in the eighth to pull Atlanta within 5-2, and the Braves tacked on another run against Luke Gregerson in the ninth when Uggla singled and crossed the plate on a base hit from pinch-hitter Jordan Schafer two batters later.

Heyward singled off Tommy Layne with two outs in the ninth to bring Upton to the plate with the tying run on base, but Nick Vincent struck out the slugger to earn his first career save.

Game Notes

Heyward is batting .396 (17-for-43) over a current 10-game hitting streak ... Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin, expected to miss at least six weeks with a torn PCL in his left knee, was placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to the game, with outfielder Jaff Decker called up from Triple-A Tucson to take his roster spot ... San Diego improved to 23-9 when scoring first this season ... The Padres have now won five straight and nine of their last 11 games against NL East opponents ... Maholm fell to 1-6 in eight career starts against San Diego and now is 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA over his last seven road assignments.