ATLANTA – Michael Wacha stuck out his pitching hand to stop a grounder hit by Atlanta leadoff hitter Ronald Acuña Jr. to open the game.
It was the only time the San Diego right-hander felt discomfort in a dominant performance.
Wacha matched his career high with 10 strikeouts, Juan Soto homered and the Padres overcame a ninth-inning scare to beat the Braves 4-1 on Saturday night.
“I felt like I had command of pretty much everything,” Wacha said.
Wacha (2-0) allowed only two hits – a double and single by Matt Olson – over six innings with one walk.