SAN DIEGO – The crowd got edgy when Will Venable popped up a bunt to Atlanta reliever Jonny Venters for the second out of the eighth inning with the bases loaded and the San Diego Padres trailing 1-0.
Something remarkable happened next. The Padres got some timely hitting, enough to stun Venters and the Braves with a rally that carried them to a 4-1 win on Sunday. Cory Luebke, making his first start of the season for the Padres, combined with four relievers on a two-hitter and San Diego took two of three from the Braves.
Jason Bartlett hit an infield single to bring in the tying run, Orlando Hudson followed with a two-run single and Chase Headley added an RBI hit.
Venters saw his ERA rise from 0.56, the best among big league relievers, to 1.29.
“One of the toughest eighth-inning guys in the big leagues,” Hudson said. “First-pitch slider, I think the next pitch was a fastball. I just wanted to put a good swing on it, make something happen.”