Hot Padres Sweep Braves, Win Homestand

Aug 1, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Tommy Medica (14) singles during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

PADRES VS. BRAVES

The Padres (51-60) swept the series against the Atlanta Braves (58-54), their second sweep of the season. The Padres finished 5-1 for the homestand, also winning the series against St. Louis. Throughout this series and homestand, the Padres bats came through more often than usual. They had 2 walk-off wins against the Braves.

As a team, the Padres hit .339 in the series, accumulating 39 hits in the 3 games. They also had 7 extra base hits and walked 20 times. The Padres were 12-for-43 with runners in scoring position, which is a .279 average. The offensive player of the series was definitely Tommy Medica. He had 3 HRs, including two in Friday night’s win. He had 8 hits in 12 at-bats with 5 runs scored and 5 RBI. His 5-hit game on Friday marked the first time a Padre had 5 hits and 2 home runs in a game since Ryan Klesko in 2001. He had 18 total bases, which ties the franchise record for total bases in a 3-game series at Petco Park.

The pitching had a good showing as well. Eric Stults finally had a good outing and Tim Stauffer had 2 wins in the series. The only hiccup was a blown save by Joaquin Benoit in Sunday’s finale. The pitching kept B.J. Upton and Freddie Freeman at bay for the most part. The Braves have struggled offensively lately and the Padres pitching certainly did not help matters.