Padre Errors Let Braves Hit L.A. in Gear : Baseball: Atlanta wins in 10th, 4-2, for two-game sweep in San Diego. Braves are a half-game behind Dodgers going into tonight’s series.

The Atlanta Braves, given one too many chances, lowered the tomahawk on the Padres and escaped with a 4-2 victory in 10 innings Thursday.

Despite a slim San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium crowd of 13,556, the game had a playoff intensity until the 10th, when the Padres set up Atlanta’s victory with two errors.

The Braves’ victory allowed them to stay a half-game behind the Dodgers as they open a three-game series tonight at Dodger Stadium--a meeting that had Braves fans in attendance doing their tomahawk chop and chanting, “Beat L.A.”

It was a particularly galling defeat for the Padres (74-74), who have lost three consecutive games. They fell to .500. They missed a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth, leaving the bases loaded against rookie reliever Mark Wohlers (2-1). Alejandro Pena pitched a perfect 10th for his 10th save.

“That got the ol’ heart pounding,” Braves first baseman Sid Bream said. “When you get down the stretch like this, every play is critical.”

The Padres left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. Benito Santiago got a one-out single, followed by a grounder to short by Darrin Jackson. Second baseman Mark Lemke, taking the relay for the force, bobbled the ball and never appeared to have control of it as he attempted to shift it to his throwing hand. However, second base umpire Greg Bonin called the out, and Manager Greg Riddoch argued to no avail.

“(Lemke) never had it,” Riddoch said. “He never made the exchange. That was a killer.”

Tim Teufel walked, and Thomas Howard singled to left, but the Padres again chose not to challenge the arm of Brave left fielder Lonnie Smith, whose throw home was 10 feet up the line, and the bases stayed loaded. It proved to be a costly decision.

“He actually hit it too hard,” Riddoch said of Thomas’ hit. “That’s one spot you want a nice, soft one. If we’d sent the runner, he would’ve been out by 30 feet.”

The loss went to Craig Lefferts (1-6), who deserved better. Smith, who homered to tie the game at 1-1 in the sixth and singled in a run to tie it again at 2 in the seventh, opened the 10th with a single.

Rookie Vinny Castilla, bunted for a sacrifice, only to see first baseman Fred McGriff bobble the ball at first, then throw it away for two errors that put runners on second and third. Terry Pendleton was walked to load the bases for David Justice, with predictable results: a single through the infield to break the tie. Ron Gant’s sacrifice fly added the last run.

Noting how the Braves took advantage of opportunities the Padres didn’t, Padre outfielder Bip Roberts said, “Contending teams get the breaks, but they also make ‘em. They’re a team on a mission every night. They’re not playing to tie, they’re playing to win. And that’s what they do.”

The matchup brought together two of the National League’s hottest young pitchers, two who have followed a similar path to similar records. After a slow start, the Padres’ Andy Benes had won his past nine decisions to improve to 13-10. The Braves’ John Smoltz had a horrendous first half, going 2-11, but was 10-2 since the All-Star break. The expected pitching duel materialized, though neither starter got a decision.

The Padres got to Smoltz for their first two hits and a third-inning run when Teufel led off with a double off the foul line on the left-field fence and scored on Howard’s single, his sixth run batted in this week.

Smith’s homer to right-center in the sixth was the first hit off Benes.

But the Padres came right back in the bottom of the inning to break the tie. Tony Fernandez drew a one-out walk, the third off Smoltz, and came around on McGriff’s line shot that hit the chalk down the right-field line. McGriff, however, was thrown out trying to stretch the hit to a triple.

The hit gave McGriff 29 RBIs in his past 35 games and raised his total to a career-high 95.

Neither pitcher survived the seventh. Smoltz, who gave up only three hits, was lifted for a pinch-hitter, and Benes, who threw 92 pitches on a sore knee and also allowed three hits, was removed after allowing one-out walks to Greg Olson and Tommy Gregg. Mike Maddux gave up a long fly ball that moved Olson to third, then a run-scoring single to Smith before getting out of the inning. Both runs were charged to Benes--the most runs he has allowed since Aug. 13.

“I just kind of lost my rhythm,” Benes said. “It got to where I was throwing strikes almost by accident.”

Maddux had another close call in the eighth when Gant’s two-out bid for a home run was caught at the fence.

In the bottom of the inning, the Padres’ Oscar Azocar led off with a pinch double. He probably could have stretched it to a triple but chose not to challenge Smith, who made a poor throw to third. Azocar was stranded on second and the game went into the ninth tied at 2-2.

“These games are fun,” Braves Manager Bobby Cox said. He added, “Also nerve-wracking.”

* HAMILTON SIGNS

Pitcher Joey Hamilton, the Padres’ No. 1 draft pick, came to terms. C4