Padres seek to build up steam in rematch vs. Braves

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said the way his team snapped its six-game losing streak Friday may provide the momentum to turn things around.

Shildt will find out for sure when the Padres continue their three-game road series with the Atlanta Braves on Saturday afternoon.

The Padres won the series opener 2-1 on Friday on Manny Machado’s solo homer in the ninth inning. San Diego improved to 5-0 against Atlanta this season.

“We’ve been shaking off the feeling of heaviness fairly well,” Shildt said. “You keep going, keep going, keep going. You want to see some breakthrough and get some breaks, but you make your own breaks in this game. We’ve broken through, and now it’s time to get back to the left side of the column.”

Meanwhile, the Braves are trying to build on the excitement brought by the return of right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who was back in the lineup for the first time in nearly a year since tearing his left ACL.

Acuna homered on the first pitch he saw — a 467-foot blast — and went 2-for-4 in the game. He also made a fielding gem to throw out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double.

“That’s just kind of goes to who he is as a ballplayer,” Braves pitcher Chris Sale said. “Just the electricity he can create on his own. (That home run) was one of the cooler moments I’ve ever seen on a baseball field.”

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said, “That was a great first day for him.”

The pitching matchup for Saturday’s game will feature a pair of right-handers in San Diego’s Michael King (4-2, 2.59 ERA) and Atlanta’s Grant Holmes (2-3, 4.01).

King will make his 11th start and hasn’t won since April 30. He lost his last start on Sunday when he allowed four runs (three earned) and eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of a 6-1 setback versus Seattle.

King has made two career appearances (one start) against Atlanta, posting a 4.26 ERA without a decision. He faced the Braves in the season-opening series and left one game after 2 2/3 innings when he allowed three runs on four hits and four walks.

Holmes has allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts to solidify his role in Atlanta’s rotation. In his most recent outing last Saturday against Boston, he pitched six innings and allowed two runs on three hits, four walks and five strikeouts. Atlanta lost 7-6.

Holmes has made only one career appearance against the Padres, throwing one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts in the opening week of the season.

Meanwhile, to make room for Acuna on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated shortstop Orlando Arcia for assignment.

Arcia made the 2023 National League All-Star team and batted .264 that season. But he slumped to .218 in 2024 and was beaten out for the job by Nick Allen early in the season.

In 14 games this season, Arcia was hitting .194 and had not started a game since April 22.

–Field Level Media