SAN DIEGO — The Padres' pitching isn't good enough. Not for being paired with this offense at this time.
The Padres fell to .500 on Saturday, because they could not keep up with the Braves in battles of solo home runs or timely hitting.
The Padres, actually, hardly hit at all in the 5-2 loss.
Jurickson Profar's home run in the second inning and Trent Grisham's homer in the eighth provided half their hits.
The Braves got three solo homers and scored two other runs after doubles that led off innings.
Kenley Jansen took a few moments to calm down after being denied any additional warm-up pitches before the bottom of the ninth. He then retired the heart of the Padres order — in order — for his second save in less than 24 hours.
The first Atlanta home run was by Ozzie Albies, leading off the game and keeping alive his streak of a homer per game in this series that concludes with Sunday's national televised contest.
After Profar tied it 1-1 with his rip just inside the right-field foul pole, the Braves went up 2-1 on a double by Adam Duvall and Manny Piña's single. Solo homers by Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna in the fifth essentially put the game out of reach for the Padres, who have scored four runs in just four games. But the Braves piled on with another run: Dansby Swanson's double, a groundout and Piña's sacrifice fly.
Piña would have had two more RBIs — and ruined the sanctity of the solo shot — if not for Grisham sprinting back 80 feet and leaping to get his glove above the center field wall and rob Piña of a two-run homer and end the top of the second inning.
The Padres are not celebrating home runs with the swagg chain this season, but it wouldn't have been brought out much even if it were around.
Profar has hit three home runs. Five other players have one apiece.
Saturday was the fifth time in 10 games the Padres have scored two or fewer runs. It was the fourth time they had five or fewer hits. They couldn't strand runners in scoring position Saturday, because they didn't have any.
What Padres starter Nick Martinez did does not herald his entering the Cy Young race. But he was signed to fit in at the back end of the rotation. Giving up four runs in five innings is considered keeping his team in the game.
The Padres were never in this game, because Grisham walked to start the bottom of the first inning, Profar homered with two outs in the second and the Padres did not get have another baserunner until there were two outs in the sixth.
A day after not drawing a single walk, Grisham's free pass was their only one — against Ian Anderson, who in his first start a week earlier had walked five batters and allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings.
