SAN DIEGO -- The Padres returned to the win column thanks to a brilliant performance by Dylan Cease in a 4-0 win over the Braves on Saturday at Petco Park.

Cease was sensational in allowing one hit and three walks over six scoreless innings. His 11 strikeouts were one shy of his season high as he delivered his most dominant performances in a Padres uniform when they needed it most.

"I think I finally got some things to sync up,'' Cease said. "I feel like I've been working on it for the last two months and the results are kind of limited. You just kind of have to battle until you can kind of get it to click and tonight was more of what I'm looking for.''

The Braves got more than a Cease-and-desist effort from San Diego's crafty right-hander in falling to the Padres.

Cease was the main reason why the Padres (50-48) are guaranteed to enter the All-Star break above water, but there were five key moments that led to postgame music being cranked up again in the home clubhouse.

Hard to believe, but Cease's stellar outing got off to an auspicious beginning, which immediately opened the door of self-doubt that the Padres wouldn't extinguish their fourth five-game losing streak on the season. Jarred Kelenic opened the game with a walk, which wasn't a good sign for Cease after he had surrendered nine runs in his previous 10 2/3 innings. But Cease quickly got right by inducing two fly balls to left and fanning clean-up hitter Matt Olson.

Cease went Houdini again in the second frame after allowing a soft single to Marcell Ozuna -- the only hit the Braves would get off him. But Adam Duvall flew out and Cease whiffed Eddie Rosario and Sean Murphy. Cease was getting warmed up and the Braves would be the victims.

"He was hitting 100 [mph] there in the sixth inning,'' Duvall said. "He had his best stuff. I’ve faced him before, and that’s probably the best that I’ve seen him.''

Cease exited after the sixth, but only after mowing down the heart of the Braves' order in fanning Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Olson.

When heading to the dugout, Cease incited the sold-out Petco Park gathering by waving his arms to pump up the volume.

"The crowd was going, it was loud and I've done that before,'' Cease said of his gesture. "I haven't had a lot of opportunities to do it this year so I took advantage of it."

While having lights-out pitching is a blessing, it goes to waste unless the Padres dismiss their offensive rut. In each of the four losses preceding Saturday's game, the Padres had scored three or fewer runs.

But David Peralta, filling in for right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., (leg), made the most of his chance. He had three hits and two RBIs, some nice production from the No. 7 hole.

Manny Machado, whose three hits included his 13th homer in the eighth, singled to open the second, but was erased when Donovan Solano hit into a fielder's choice.

Surprisingly, Solano didn't stay idle for long and snatched his first stolen base since July 19, 2021. It was just his 14th steal in 11 seasons.

Arraez, who's been scuffling with a sore thumb, drove in Tyler Wade with a double in the fifth. But only because Wade was aboard after his smash was flagged down by Olson at first base. Good fortune smiled on the Padres, when pitcher Reynaldo López neglected to cover the bag.

The miscue by López changed the complexion of the inning, with Arraez's third hit bringing home Wade.

With that the Padres were ahead 2-0, which would be more than enough with the way Cease and the three Padres pitchers that followed were executing.

Peralta, who recently toasted his 10th year in the Majors, was at it again in the sixth. In another sign that the worm was turning, Machado hit a liner that glanced off the shortstop Orlando Arcia's glove for a single, and Solano got a hit too. After Jackson Merrill's grounder erased Solano, Peralta's hit got Machado in for a 3-0 lead.

Machado's bat is showing signs of life and his blast in the eighth proved it, putting an exclamation point on the win.