CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Eric Stults was unhittable for five of his six innings against the Braves.
The one bad inning doomed the left-hander to his National League-leading 13th loss.
Stults gave up six runs in the third inning, sealing his fate as the San Diego Padres fell to the Atlanta Braves 8-3 on Sunday.
Stults gave up all of his six hits allowed in Atlanta’s big inning.
“You know, you come to a ballpark, you never know what you’re going to see,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “Eric Stults threw five no-hit innings. And in one inning he gave up six hits.
“Really, he deserved a better fate.”
After the game, Black announced the team will put outfielder Carlos Quentin on the 15-day disabled list on Monday because of a sore left knee. Second baseman Jedd Gyorko will come off the disabled list.
Gyorko has been out since June 4 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Second baseman Brooks Conrad will be optioned to Triple-A El Paso.
Stults (3-13) said he thought he “executed a few pitches” in the third inning “but just didn’t get outs on them.”
“That’s just the way that this game goes,” Stults said. “It’s frustrating to feel like you threw the ball well but the results didn’t really show it.”
Black said he was impressed the left-hander recovered after the bad inning and didn’t put an extra strain on the bullpen.
“I like the fact that Stults bounced back and threw three innings when it looked as though it might be a little dire for our bullpen,” Black said. “He hung in there, went six innings.
“It was big for him to get through that when it seemed like he might not. Stults doesn’t melt, that’s the good thing. He’s got pretty good backbone. He’s got broad shoulders. He’ll take it on, he’ll take it and keep going. He won’t back away form a good fight. And that was a good fight when they were finding holes.”
Chris Johnson and Ryan Doumit each drove in two runs in the big inning.
Atlanta’s Mike Minor (4-6) allowed eight hits and three runs in 6 2-3 innings.
Yangervis Solarte led off the third with his first homer since his trade from the Yankees on Tuesday. Minor didn’t allow another run until Rene Rivera’s eighth homer with two outs in the sixth.
Though far less than dominant, the start was an improvement after Minor gave up six runs in each of his last two outings. He had allowed at least four runs in four of his last five starts but worked on his mechanics before Sunday’s start.
“There are some different things I’ve been doing this year,” Minor said. “We looked at film of last year and we found three big things I was doing different this year. We tried to change them but I think it’s going to take time.”
The Braves trailed 1-0 before roughing up Stults.
Back-to-back doubles by Gerald Laird and Andrelton Simmons started the inning. Tommy La Stella hit an RBI single that skipped between Stults’ legs, Johnson had a two-run double before Doumit followed with a two-run single.
A few thousand fans arrived early to watch the Hall of Fame ceremonies on the Turner Field video board. Among the inductees were former Braves managers Bobby Cox and Joe Torre and pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.
Minor left the game with two outs in the seventh and Chris Denorfia on second base. Tommy Medica hit an RBI single off Anthony Vavaro to cut Atlanta’s lead to 6-3.
Justin Upton hit a two-run double in the Atlanta seventh.
NOTES: Converted OF Jason Lane will be recalled by the Padres from Triple-A El Paso to make his first major league start on Monday against the Braves. RHP Ian Kennedy’s turn in the rotation will be skipped due to a left oblique strain. Black said Kennedy sustained a “mild” oblique strain in an at-bat and is expected to make his next start. Lane threw 4 1-3 scoreless innings in two relief appearances with San Diego in June. RHP Ervin Santana will start for Atlanta.
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