By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Home cookin'
Braves 4-0 at SunTrust Park
Braves
Atlanta Braves' Dansby Swanson, left, celebrates with Freddie Freeman as Jace Peterson rushes in after hitting a walk-off single in the ninth inning of Monday's game against the San Diego Padres in Atlanta. - photo by Associated Press

ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman said Dansby Swanson was the perfect choice to hit with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Freeman's reasoning? It was Swanson's time for a hit to finally fall.

Swanson delivered an RBI single with two outs in the ninth and the Atlanta Braves, boosted by Freeman's two home runs and double, beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 Monday night for a four-game sweep in their first series at SunTrust Park.

Swanson took a .146 batting average into the game and was 0 for 4 before dropping the single just in front of diving left fielder Allen Cordoba.

"We don't want anyone in that situation other than him because he was due," Freeman said of Swanson. "It came at the right time."

Swanson said he even heard about his slow start to the season from his father.

"Sometimes it just feels like you can't hit it away from them," Swanson said. "My dad, we were eating dinner last night for Easter, and he was like 'They've been playing there for 100 years. Try to hit it somewhere else.'"

The Braves have followed a five-game losing streak with five straight wins.

Freeman had four hits and drove in three runs. His second homer tied it in the eighth, but it was Swanson who was swarmed on the field by his teammates and then doused with a water bucket.

"Amazing," Swanson said. "The hit was great and the fact we won was great but seeing how happy they were was almost even better. Seeing Freddie bum-rush you and ... everybody was just so extremely happy. It was awesome."

Jim Johnson (2-0) pitched the ninth.

Kurt Suzuki hit a one-out single in the Braves ninth off closer Brandon Maurer (0-1). With two outs, pinch runner Chase d'Arnaud advanced to third on Emilio Bonifacio's bloop single in front of Cordoba's dive.

An intentional walk to Ender Inciarte loaded the bases for Swanson, whose first career game-ending hit again fell beyond the reach of a charging Cordoba.

Padres manager Andy Green said "I don't think it's rocket science" to pitch to Swanson instead of Inciarte, who already had two hits.

"Dansby got the hit, got to tip your cap," Green said.

Austin Hedges' two-run homer off Arodys Vizcaino in the eighth inning gave San Diego a 4-3 lead. Freeman tied the game with his opposite-field homer to left field off Ryan Buchter.

Freeman's two-run homer in the third inning put Atlanta ahead 3-1. Cordoba's pinch-hit homer off Jaime Garcia in the seventh cut the lead to 3-2.

San Diego right-hander Jered Weaver allowed three runs, two earned, in six innings.

Garcia allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up hits to San Diego's first three batters, including a run-scoring single by Yangervis Solarte. He didn't allow another hit until Hedges' two-out double to right field in the sixth.