ATLANTA -- Maybe it's too early to worry about Mike Foltynewicz, who could have been spared some damage with a little defensive assistance in the first of two consecutive five-run innings the Braves endured during an 11-2 loss to the Padres on Thursday afternoon at SunTrust Park.

But the two starts Foltynewicz has made since missing most of Spring Training with a right elbow bone spur have been anything but encouraging. His fastball velocity is down, and the slider that helped him become an All-Star last year has proven ordinary against the likes of Ian Kinsler.

"There wasn't a whole lot of Folty ammo to work with," Braves catcher Tyler Flowers said. "You combine that with aggressive guys and not great command and it's a little tough to navigate."

Foltynewicz's four-seam fastball averaged 93.8 mph, which was down slightly from his season debut (94.7 mph) on Saturday and even further down from last year's average (96.3 mph). This pitch never averaged less than 94.8 mph during any of his 31 starts last year.

While the velocity drop creates some reason for concern, Foltynewicz says his focus is centered around the slider, which is the pitch he threw just before experiencing right elbow discomfort, caused by a bone spur, during his Feb. 24 spring debut.

"I'm getting guys out, so I'm not worried about [the velocity drop]," Foltynewicz said. "I've just got to get my off-speed where it needs to be. The fastball command has been good. They hit a couple balls well today, but it's mostly been my slider that hasn't been working."

Time will tell if a mechanical adjustment or another minor tweak will prove to be a sufficient remedy. But through two starts, Foltynewicz has not looked like the same guy who produced a 2.85 ERA last year. He faltered during the seventh inning of his season debut against the Rockies, then allowed a less-imposing Padres lineup to tag him for him eight hits and six runs -- two earned -- over 4 2/3 innings.

Foltynewicz had allowed just two runs before center fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. aided a five-run fifth by misreading a Franmil Reyes pop fly. This defensive miscue was followed by Foltynewicz slapping Manny Machado's sharp comebacker away from his face before throwing the ball into center field.

A sac fly and two singles later, and the Braves' right-hander was heading to the clubhouse.

"I thought his first start he was pretty good," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "This start, I think he's healthy and I think he feels good. I just don't know if his delivery was getting out of whack and his slider didn't have the bite it normally does. It might be something they can correct with a side session."

Kinsler entered this series finale with a .151 batting average and exited it with his first three-hit performance of the season. The Padres second baseman homered on a slider in the third inning and doubled when Foltynewicz offered the same pitch in an 0-2 count during an ugly five-run fifth inning for Atlanta.

Opponents hit .111 (25-for-226) and totaled 10 extra-base hits against Foltynewicz's slider last year. The pitch has already yield four extra-base hits through 10 2/3 innings this season.

Foltynewicz spent three big league seasons toying with the slider before finally gaining legitimate confidence in the pitch last year.

"It's been taking me a while to get that pitch down," Foltynewicz said. "Last year, I had a really good year with it. So maybe guys are sitting on it or looking for it. But it's just not getting that bite either. I need to get back to where I was last year by tweaking a mechanic maybe. I'm still trusting everything. I'm just not getting movement like I want."

Flowers seemed to believe inconsistency is what is plaguing Foltynewicz's slider. Eight of the 23 sliders thrown Thursday were put in play with an average exit velocity of 97.3 mph. That's the second highest (minimum five balls in play) produced against his slider since the start of 2018. No team put the slider in play more than seven times last year.

Bad start? Maybe. But the Rockies put six in play on Saturday at an average speed of 94.6 mph. That ranks as the third-highest mark against his slider dating back to last year.

"I just feel like his command of it wasn't great," Flowers said. "I felt the action on the [sliders] that got out there were normal and good. But when you can't keep it off the plane of the fastball, it's a little easier to identify as a hitter."

Culberson collects first K
Left fielder Charlie Culberson saved the bullpen -- and put some smiles on his teammates' faces -- by pitching in the ninth inning.

Culberson struck out Manuel Margot looking for the first out in the top of the ninth, then allowed a single and two walks before working out of the bases-loaded jam.