Braves' errors prove costly in 11-inning loss to Padres

ATLANTA - An early start didn't keep the San Diego Padres from stepping up late in Sunday's series finale against the reigning World Series champions.

Ha-Seong Kim hit a go-ahead RBI double as the visitors scored four runs in the 11th inning at Truist Park, and the Padres held on to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-3 and win two of three in a competitive series. San Diego won Friday's opener 11-6 before the Braves responded with Saturday's 6-5 win, with both of those games decided by late rallies.

On Sunday, Kim's double to left field off Jackson Stephens (0-1) drove in Jake Cronenworth, who opened the inning as the automatic runner on second base.

"I was extra motivated and extra focused to give the team the lead," Kim said through an interpreter.

Kim moved to third on a throwing error by shortstop Dansby Swanson and scored on Jurickson Profar's grounder to second base, beating Ozzie Albies' throw to the plate. Will Myers added a two-run single for San Diego.

Padres acting manager Ryan Christenson said he shared a postgame text with manager Bob Melvin, who is recovering from prostate surgery, to brag about the team's resiliency in rallying from an early 3-0 deficit.

"It was just good to see the guys keep fighting and prevail," Christenson said.

The Braves committed three errors, leading to four unearned runs.

"It's hard," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "You can't give teams more than three outs. You'll get beat."

The 11:37 a.m. first pitch on Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service, was the earliest known start for either team. The Braves cited Elias Sports Bureau in reporting they had not started a game before noon since at least 1989. The Padres also relied on Elias to say they had not started a game before noon since at least 1998.

Neither team could cite history of any game starting before noon, but first-pitch records are incomplete before 1989.

"I don't think the time affected them," Christenson said of his players. "There was good energy in the dugout all day."

San Diego reliever Nabil Crismatt (2-0) had four strikeouts in two scoreless innings.

Swanson's two-run homer off Joe Musgrove gave the Braves a 3-0 lead in the fourth. The Padres took advantage of two unearned runs to tie the game against Kyle Wright.

Swanson's alert baserunning gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead in the second. He reached on a fielder's choice grounder and advanced to third on Adam Duvall's bloop single in front of Will Myers in right field.

Swanson scored on a head-first slide when Myers' throw skipped past Robinson Canó at second base. The run on Myers' throwing error was unearned.

Braves first baseman Matt Olson's fielding error allowed Profar to score an unearned run in the fifth. Profar doubled off Wright and scored on Myers' single in the seventh.

Wright was pulled when third baseman Austin Riley missed Canó's grounder for an error. Austin Nola's sacrifice fly drove in Myers for a 3-3 tie.

Wright allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He recorded nine strikeouts.

Musgrove allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings.

Luis García walked Ozuna with two outs in the eighth. Ozuna stole second and moved to third on García's wild pitch before Albies popped out to end the inning.

Canó, who signed with San Diego on Friday after being designated for assignment by the New York Mets on May 2, was 0-for-5 in his Padres debut. Kim started at third base and Cronenworth made his first start of the season at shortstop.

Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. missed his fourth consecutive game due to groin muscle soreness. After an MRI on Saturday showed no structural damage, the Braves made no injury list move. It's possible Acuña could return Monday, when the Braves visit the Milwaukee Brewers to start a three-game series.

Atlanta won two of three against Milwaukee on May 6-8 at Truist Park, a rematch of the National League Division Series the Braves won last year on the way to their first World Series title since 1995. The Braves, who dropped to 16-19 with Sunday's loss, have just two series victories this season, with the other against the Chicago Cubs in late April.

The Padres, atop the NL West standings after the victory, are 22-13.

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