SAN DIEGO (AP) – These extra-innings games are getting tough on Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.

“I hope it changes soon,” Gonzalez said after Ryan Ludwick’s second homer of the night, a 2-run shot with one out in the 13th inning, lifted the San Diego Padres to a 5-3 win against the Braves on Monday night.

“I don’t know if my gut can take it another extra-inning game.”

Atlanta went extra innings for the third time in five games. The Braves are 1-2 in those games.

Ludwick’s winning shot, his fourth of the year, came on an 0-1 pitch from Cristhian Martinez (0-2). It was the fourth game-winning homer of his career.

Nick Hundley, who tied the game with an RBI double in the seventh, was aboard on a one-out walk.

Cory Luebke (1-1) pitched two innings.

Chipper Jones hit his 500th career double leading off the 12th and was replaced by pinch-runner Brandon Hicks. Brian McCann hit a dribbler back to Luebke, who threw out Hicks trying to take third. Dan Uggla singled to put runners on first and second before Freddie Freeman and Alex Gonzalez struck out.

Going into that inning, the Padres had retired 19 of 20 batters since Braves starter Derek Lowe hit an RBI single with two outs in the fifth.

“Any time you play 13 innings, it’s tough to lose,” Lowe said. “It’s not the ideal situation. But we have an off day in two days, so we just have to dig deep.”

Atlanta’s Nate McLouth singled leading off the 13th. Once again the Padres erased the lead runner when Luebke fielded Martinez’s bunt and forced McLouth at second. Right fielder Chris Denorfia made a spectacular, diving, rolling catch of Martin Prado’s fly ball, then got up and doubled Martinez off first to end the inning.

Hundley hit an RBI double off former Padres reliever Scott Linebrink with two outs in the seventh to tie the game at 3. It brought in Cameron Maybin, who opened the inning by walking off Eric O’Flaherty.

Atlanta’s Jason Heyward homered on Dustin Moseley’s fifth pitch of the game, an opposite-field solo shot to left with one out in the first.

The Padres hadn’t scored a run in Moseley’s previous four starts while he was in the game. They finally snapped that streak when Will Venable’s tying groundout brought in Orlando Hudson, who hit a leadoff single and advanced on Brad Hawpe’s double to left.

Ludwick then gave the Padres a 2-1 lead when he homered to left with two outs in the third, his third.

Atlanta came back in the fifth for a 3-2 lead. Freeman doubled down the right-field line with one out and scored on Gonzalez’s single up the middle. With two outs, Lowe singled up the middle to bring in Gonzalez.

Lowe allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, struck out eight and walked three. In his last start, he went only three innings in a 6-1 loss at Los Angeles, allowing five earned runs on nine hits.

Moseley allowed three runs and four hits in six innings, struck out two and walked none. His ERA rose from 1.40 to 1.99.

NOTES: Sidearmer Cory Gearrin made his major league debut by pitching two perfect innings for the Braves. He was recalled Friday from Triple-A Gwinnett. … The Padres recalled RH reliever Evan Scribner from Triple-A Tucson and optioned LH Wade LeBlanc to the same Tucson club. … LeBlanc was recalled from Tucson on Sunday to start against Philadelphia. He took the loss.

These extra-innings games are getting tough on Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.

“I hope it changes soon,” Gonzalez said after Ryan Ludwick’s second homer of the night, a 2-run shot with one out in the 13th inning, lifted the San Diego Padres to a 5-3 win against the Braves on Monday night.

“I don’t know if my gut can take it another extra-inning game.”

Atlanta went extra innings for the third time in five games. The Braves are 1-2 in those games.

Ludwick’s winning shot, his fourth of the year, came on an 0-1 pitch from Cristhian Martinez (0-2). It was the fourth game-winning homer of his career.

Nick Hundley, who tied the game with an RBI double in the seventh, was aboard on a one-out walk.

Cory Luebke (1-1) pitched two innings.

Chipper Jones hit his 500th career double leading off the 12th and was replaced by pinch-runner Brandon Hicks. Brian McCann hit a dribbler back to Luebke, who threw out Hicks trying to take third. Dan Uggla singled to put runners on first and second before Freddie Freeman and Alex Gonzalez struck out.

Going into that inning, the Padres had retired 19 of 20 batters since Braves starter Derek Lowe hit an RBI single with two outs in the fifth.

“Any time you play 13 innings, it’s tough to lose,” Lowe said. “It’s not the ideal situation. But we have an off day in two days, so we just have to dig deep.”

Atlanta’s Nate McLouth singled leading off the 13th. Once again the Padres erased the lead runner when Luebke fielded Martinez’s bunt and forced McLouth at second. Right fielder Chris Denorfia made a spectacular, diving, rolling catch of Martin Prado’s fly ball, then got up and doubled Martinez off first to end the inning.

Hundley hit an RBI double off former Padres reliever Scott Linebrink with two outs in the seventh to tie the game at 3. It brought in Cameron Maybin, who opened the inning by walking off Eric O’Flaherty.

Atlanta’s Jason Heyward homered on Dustin Moseley’s fifth pitch of the game, an opposite-field solo shot to left with one out in the first.

The Padres hadn’t scored a run in Moseley’s previous four starts while he was in the game. They finally snapped that streak when Will Venable’s tying groundout brought in Orlando Hudson, who hit a leadoff single and advanced on Brad Hawpe’s double to left.

Ludwick then gave the Padres a 2-1 lead when he homered to left with two outs in the third, his third.

Atlanta came back in the fifth for a 3-2 lead. Freeman doubled down the right-field line with one out and scored on Gonzalez’s single up the middle. With two outs, Lowe singled up the middle to bring in Gonzalez.

Lowe allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, struck out eight and walked three. In his last start, he went only three innings in a 6-1 loss at Los Angeles, allowing five earned runs on nine hits.

Moseley allowed three runs and four hits in six innings, struck out two and walked none. His ERA rose from 1.40 to 1.99.

NOTES: Sidearmer Cory Gearrin made his major league debut by pitching two perfect innings for the Braves. He was recalled Friday from Triple-A Gwinnett. … The Padres recalled RH reliever Evan Scribner from Triple-A Tucson and optioned LH Wade LeBlanc to the same Tucson club. … LeBlanc was recalled from Tucson on Sunday to start against Philadelphia. He took the loss.

Read More: Brad Hawpe (1B – SDP), Dustin Moseley (P – SDP), Orlando Hudson (2B – SDP), Derek Lowe (P – ATL), Ryan Ludwick (LF – SDP), San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves

The Braves and Padres begin a three-game series as Atlanta goes for four straight and San Diego tries to avoid losing five straight. Game time is 10:05 on SportSouth.

Braves Lineup:
1. Martin Prado, 2B
2. Jason Heyward, RF
3. Chipper Jones, 3B
4. Brian McCann, C
5. Dan Uggla, 2B
6. Freddie Freeman, 1B
7. Alex Gonzalez, SS
8. Nate McLouth, CF
9. Derek Lowe, SP

Padres Lineup:
1. Cameron Maybin, CF
2. Jason Bartlett, SS
3. Chase Headley, 3B
4. Nick Hundley, C
5. Ryan Ludwick, LF
6. Orlando Hudson, 2B
7. Brad Hawpe, 1B
8. Will Venable, RF
9. Dustin Moseley, SP

Derek Lowe (27.2 IP, 3.25 ERA, 2.65 FIP, 3.02 xFIP, 2.6 BB/9, 7.81 K/9, 54.9 GB%, 8.6 SwStr%)
(46.4 FB%, 26.9 SL%, 17.2 CH%, 9.4 CT%; 38.6 Swing%, 77 Contact%)
vs.
Dustin Moseley (25.2 IP, 1.40 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 4.15 xFIP, 2.45 BB/9, 2.81 K/9, 58.1 GB%, 5.6 SwStr%)
(53.8 FB%, 19.1 CB%, 18 SL%, 9 CH%; 43.4 Swing%, 86 Contact%)

Lowe suffered through the worst start of his season so far in his last start, allowing five runs on nine hits in three innings. The trend of increasing amounts of fly balls allowed seemed to finally catch up to him, but he also had some hits that bled through holes. Lowe’s two starts prior to the last one, while not bad by any means, have given a pretty good indication that some concern is worthy, and now his last start proved that. He needs a bounce back outing against a poor offensive team in the Padres.

Moseley is pitching over his head so far this season, allowing just six runs in 25.2 innings despite only eight strikeouts. Even the ground ball rate is over his head, as he has never posted a number better than 49.1% in his career. The ground ball are probably just luck and variance more than anything, because his pitch numbers and contact numbers are pretty much in line with his averages. Whether the Braves are able to knock him out of his hot streak is not certain, but he’s due for a fall at some point.

Opposing Numbers:
The Braves have almost no experience against Moseley. Gonzalez and Eric Hinske have one at-bat each, and that is all.

Several Padres have hit Lowe in the past. Brad Hawpe is 13-39 with three homers and 10 RBIs. Orlando Hudson is 12-38 with six walks. Ryan Ludwick is 8-13 with three homers. Those not playing but have had big success against Lowe are Jorge Cantu – 7-14 with four doubles and a homer – and Alberto Gonzalez – 7-13.

What to Look For:
The Braves need Lowe back on track, and facing a poor offensive team in San Diego is good medicine for that.

Rob Neyer at Baseball Nation gives us reasons why the Braves are going to be fine. To the list:

1. Run differential. The Braves have outscored their opponents by 11 runs. This is rather surprising to me because of the lack of offense from the team so far, but it shows how great the pitching staff really has been. They are ranked second in the National League in FIP at 3.17 and second in fWAR at 4.1.

2. Dan Uggla will be fine. This much we know. He won’t hit .182/.234/.398 with a 6.4 BB% and .269 wOBA all season. How much he improves as the season goes on is not known, but his career numbers indicate plenty of good things in the future, and age should be not be a factor this early in the contract.

3. Pitching. The Braves have six good starting pitchers, as Neyer points out. The rotation’s strikeout-to-walk ratio is 3-1, and with two sinkerballers, that is a pretty big number. This is largely due to Derek Lowe’s increased strikeout rate of 7.81 K/9 and the emergence of Brandon Beachy and his 9.51 K/9. Also, the staff’s command has been excellent across the board.

By Rob Neyer – National Baseball Editor

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Apr 25, 2011 - I can think of at least three reasons why you shouldn’t worry about the fourth-place Atlanta Braves.

1. They’ve got a solid run differential.
They’re 11-12, but have outscored their opponents by 11 runs. Granted, run differential might seem like a ridiculously irrelevant metric so early in the season, but it’s funny how most of the good teams have good run differentials and most of the bad teams don’t.

2. Dan Uggla isn’t going to do this all season.
Okay, so Uggla’s no kid. At 31, his best numbers are probably behind him. Still, .182/.234/.398? The power’s been there for Uggla but the average hasn’t, and at this point you’d rather have that combination, because batting average is highly subject to luck in April. He might not be great, but he’ll be good.

3. The Braves have six good starting pitchers.
Here’s a slightly amazing fact that we’ll enjoy today because it won’t last for long … All five of Atlanta’s starting pitchers have struck out at least three times as many hitters as they’ve walked.

As you know, 2-to-1 is a pretty good benchmark for success. Especially for starting pitchers. Last season, the Phillies led the National League with a 2.84 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is outstanding. The Giants, who led the league in ERA, ranked sixth at 2.30 (thanks a lot, Zito).

But all five of the Braves’ starters — Brandon Beachy, Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, and Tommy Hanson — are currently 3-to-1 or better. They won’t all stay there, of course; the point is that the Braves have five solid starters in their rotation.

Yeah, but you said six.

Well, Mike Minor couldn’t crack the Braves’ rotation, but he could pitch for almost any other team in the majors. The No. 7 pick in the draft just two years ago, Minor blew through the minors in about two seconds, and he’s got a 1.73 ERA in nine career Triple-A starts.

At some point over the course of 162 games, nearly every contender needs some depth in their pitching rotation. And when that point comes for the Braves, they’ll be ready.

Read More: Dan Uggla (2B – ATL), Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves

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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – The Atlanta Braves scored three runs in the 10th inning to complete a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants with a 9-6 victory on Sunday.

Nate McLouth came through with a two-run single to break a 6-6 tie in the 10th, and Brian McCann added an RBI in the extra inning as the Braves (11-12) swept the Giants for the first time at AT&T Park.

Atlanta had lost four of their previous five games before their series with the World Series champions.

“We came up here and took three games from the world (series) champs,” Atlanta’s Chipper Jones told reporters. “So confidence is a lot different than it was a week ago.”

The Braves held the Giants to three runs in their two previous victories in the series but used their offense in Sunday’s win.

Jason Heyward went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Jones added two hits and two RBIs for the Braves who took a 5-2 lead in the seventh on Heyward’s three-run home run.

The Giants (10-11) rallied by scoring four times in the seventh to take a 6-5 edge before Braves second baseman Dan Uggla hit a game-tying homer in the eighth.

Atlanta rookie pitcher Brandon Beachy tossed six innings and allowed two runs while striking out seven batters in a no-decision.

Reliever Eric O’Flaherty pitched the eighth and ninth innings and recorded the win and Jonny Venters picked up the save in the 10th.

Brian Wilson was charged with the three runs allowed in the 10th and took the loss for San Francisco, who have now lost four successive games.

(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes/Greg Stutchbury)