ATLANTA (AP) — Another new road venue didn’t affect Jesse Hahn.
That is exactly what San Diego manager Bud Black has come to expect from the rookie right-hander with the cool disposition.
Hahn allowed only three hits in six innings, to remain unbeaten on the road, and the Padres beat Atlanta 5-2 on Friday night to extend their recent success against the Braves.
Hahn (6-2) allowed one run as he improved to 4-0 in four road starts.
“It tells me a little bit about the heartbeat,” Black said of Hahn. “This guy is pretty calm for a young player. He’s got some confidence in his game, which we came to know in spring training.
“I like the fact again he’s got a pretty even keel about his personality during the course of the game.”
Hahn was in control despite having only four strikeouts, his low total in eight starts. He had no quick answer for his road success.
“I don’t know what the difference is,” Hahn said. “I approach every game the same. I didn’t even know I was pitching better on the road.”
The Padres continued their recent offensive recovery with 13 hits to beat Alex Wood (7-8). They have had 27 hits in their last two games, their best two-game total of the season, and have scored 26 runs in their last three games.
“We do think we have the capability to produce more offensively,” Black said. “It’s taken a while to get there, and we’re still not anywhere near where we need to be.”
The Padres still rank last in the majors with their .218 batting average and 317 runs.
Tommy Medica drove in a run and had a career-high four hits. Chris Denorfia had three hits and an RBI for San Diego.
The Padres, who were 5-1 against the Braves in 2013, have won five of their last six series against Atlanta since early in 2011.
The Braves fell 2 1-2 games behind first-place Washington in the NL East.
Wood allowed five runs, four earned. He gave up a career-high 12 hits, including three infield singles, in five innings. Other hits found holes through the infield defense.
“I’ve never seen so many ground balls go through the infield,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “(Wood) kept getting ground balls, and they just kept getting through the infield.”
The Braves scored one run in the eighth but left the bases loaded. Kevin Quackenbush gave up a two-out single to Freddie Freeman before walking Justin Upton.
Joaquin Benoit walked two batters, including a bases-loaded pass to Evan Gattis to force in a run. Chris Johnson’s fly ball to shallow center field ended the inning.
Benoit had two strikeouts in a perfect ninth to earn his second save.
San Diego led 5-0 before Freeman hit a one-out triple off the wall in center field and scored on Upton’s sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Wood was helped by double plays in the first and second innings as he gave up eight hits but only two runs in the first three innings.
The Padres doubled their lead with two runs in the fourth. Denorfia had a run-scoring single and scored on Yangervis Solarte’s fly ball for a 4-0 lead.
Rene Rivera added a run-scoring single off Wood in the fifth.
Black unsuccessfully challenged a call that Medica was forced out at second base in the fifth. Braves third baseman Chris Johnson bobbled Jeff Francoeur’s grounder before throwing to Tommy La Stella at second. The call stood following a review that lasted 3 minutes, 1 second.
Francoeur, who played with his hometown Braves from 2005-09, received an ovation before his first at-bat. He was 0 for 3 with a walk.
NOTES: Braves RHP Anthony Vavaro was activated from paternity leave, and RHP Gus Schlosser was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. … Black said San Diego 1B Yonder Alonso (wrist) will be activated from the 15-day DL and is tentatively set to start on Saturday. OF Jake Goebbert will be optioned to Triple-A El Paso. … Braves LHP Jonny Venters, trying to come back from a second Tommy John surgery in 2013, played catch from 100 feet and could throw in the bullpen next week. … The series continues Saturday night when Atlanta’s Julio Teheran will try for his 10th win against Padres rookie Ordisamer Despaigne, who has a 1.31 ERA in five starts.
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