SAN DIEGO – Max Fried retired the last 18 batters he faced and finished with three hits in his second career scoreless game, and the Atlanta Braves, leaders of the NL East Division, shut out 4-0 at the San Diego Padres on Friday in the second game of a peculiar doubleheader.
A few hours earlier, after an unusual rain delay in San Diego, Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the seventh inning with a home run and the reeling Padres won 6-5 at the restart of a game that was suspended by rain in Atlanta. on July 21.
The result of the night was that the Braves’ lead over the Phillies was reduced to a game and a half after Philadelphia’s 8-6 win at Pittsburgh.
Fried (13-7), a former Padres player, posted a brilliant nine-inning performance for his sixth straight win in 10 starts.
The Padres continued their free fall into what could be the biggest collapse in franchise history. San Diego is seven games behind St. Louis in the fight for the second wild card, with Philadelphia and Cincinnati also ahead. On September 9, the team had a one-game lead in that race.
Swanson hit his 27th homer with one out in the second inning off rookie Reiss Knehr (1-1), who took the loss after allowing three touchdowns and five hits in four innings.
In the resumption of their pending game, the Padres, in their white home uniform, served as visitors in their own stadium. Tatis’ 41st home run this season, off Will Smith, returned control of the game to the team after the Braves tied on a solo homer by Duvall with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Daniel Hudson (5-2) took the win and Mark Melancon pitched the seventh for 38 saves. Smith (3-9) was the loser.
In the first game, for the Padres the Dominican Fernando Tatis 3-1 with two runs scored and one produced and the Puerto Rican Victor Caratini 2-0.
For the Braves, Venezuelans Ehire Adrianza 1-1 with a run scored and an RBI, Orlando Arcia 1-1 with an RBI and William Contreras 1-0; the Cuban Guillermo Heredia 2-1 with a run scored and an RBI and the Puerto Rican Eddie Rosario 1-0.
In the second match, for the Braves, Cuban Jorge Soler 3-0. Ozzie Albies from Curaçao 4-1, with two runs scored. Puerto Rican Eddie Rosario 4-1, with a run scored.
For the Padres, the Dominicans Fernando Tatis Jr. 4-2; Webster Rivas 3-0. Jurickson Profar from Curaçao 2-0.
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