SAN FRANCISCO -- Atlanta Braves slugger Matt Kemp has hit more home runs at AT&T Park than all but one of the San Francisco Giants' active opponents.

But to hear him tell it, he has had way more fly balls sink to a meaningless death than clear the wall in his career.

Kemp got the better of the ballpark for the eighth time in his career Saturday night, providing all the offense that Mike Foltynewicz needed in a 3-1 victory over the Giants.

"I've absolutely crushed balls here before," the former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres outfielder said. "Then you look and Denard (Span, the Giants' center fielder) is settling under it.

"I don't know what happened this time. I just think I hit it at the right time."

Mauricio Cabrera pitched out of an eighth-inning jam and closer Jim Johnson threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save of the season, helping the Braves square the three-game series with the Giants at one game apiece.

With the loss, the Giants (70-59) fell two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (72-57) in the race for first place in the National League West.

"We were a little short-handed," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, whose starting lineup did not include Buster Posey (rest), Brandon Belt (sore neck) and Hunter Pence (strained hamstring). "Sure, you are going to miss those guys. It unfortunately happens once in a while. And it happened tonight to us."

San Francisco also lost a pitcher when scheduled starter Jake Peavy had to be scratched because of a sore back. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list and replaced by right-hander Albert Suarez, who was summoned from Triple-A Sacramento.

Kemp's homer in the fourth inning was just the third hit Suarez allowed. But they all came in succession and produced the only runs Foltynewicz needed.

Staked to a 1-0 lead on Brandon Crawford's home run in the second inning, Suarez retired nine of the 10 Braves he faced in the first three innings without allowing a hit.

But the tide turned when Adonis Garcia's grounder snuck through the left side of the Giants' infield leading off the fourth.

Freddie Freeman followed with a double that one-hopped the wall in right field, sending Garcia to third. Kemp brought everybody home with his blast to center field, his 26th homer of the year.

"When he hit that home run, that's all I needed," Foltynewicz said. "Everything was working."

The homer, which put Atlanta up 3-1, was the eighth of Kemp's career at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Only Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (10) has more among active Giants opponents.

"When he hit it, I thought, 'Good, knocked in a run,'" said Braves interim manager Brian Snitker, who also knows the history of cool night games in San Francisco all too well. "But then it kept going and going."

Foltynewicz, who limited the Giants to one run and three hits over six innings in a 5-3 Braves win earlier this season, nearly duplicated the feat in the rematch.

After Crawford's homer, his 12th of the season, he limited the Giants to four other hits before leaving with two on and two out in the eighth.

"What a great experience pitching in this atmosphere," Snitker said of his 24-year-old pitcher. "He got locked in. Everything was under control. This is what he's capable of."

A two-out double by Span and walk by Angel Pagan put the potential tying runs on base in the eighth and brought the hard-throwing Cabrera out of the bullpen.

He got Joe Panik to ground softly to Freeman at first base to kill the threat.

Foltynewicz (7-5) walked one and struck out six in 7 2/3 innings. He remained unbeaten in his last five starts.

"He had very good stuff tonight," Bochy said. "We couldn't get a key hit. That's how you win ballgames, and that was missing tonight."

The Braves had only seven hits in the game, but four went for extra bases. Freeman, Tyler Flowers and Jace Peterson added doubles to Kemp's homer.

Crawford and Span had two hits apiece for the Giants, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.

The Giants haven't won as many as three in a row since a four-game run from July 6 to July 10.

Suarez (3-2) was pulled one out into the fifth inning, having allowed three runs and five hits. He walked two and struck out five.

The Braves nearly added to their lead in the sixth against the Giants' third pitcher, George Kontos. Flowers, who had doubled, was thrown out at home plate by Giants right fielder Gorkys Hernandez after a two-out single by Dansby Swanson.

NOTES: Braves LF Matt Kemp's homer was the 23rd of his career against the Giants, the most among active Giants opponents. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy said before the game that a decision to scratch RHP Jake Peavy (strained lower back) was made Saturday even though he had reported back pain Thursday. ... The Braves, meanwhile, made a decision on Saturday to recall RHP Aaron Blair to start Sunday's series finale. But their Triple-A affiliate is 2,500 miles away in Gwinett County, Ga., so Blair was still on an airplane when Saturday night's game began. ... The Giants had an even later lineup scratch when 1B Brandon Belt came up with a sore neck after warmups. He had been in the first announced lineup. He was replaced by INF Conor Gillaspie. ... Peavy and RF Hunter Pence (tight right hamstring) went for MRI's on Saturday. Bochy said he hopes Pence will be ready to return for the start of the Arizona series on Tuesday. … The Giants could have Matt Cain (sore lower back) ready for Suarez’s next turn in the rotation. Cain pitched five innings in an injury-rehab start at Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday.