Although he was only 1-for-4, Braun had five RBIs in the game on a first-inning ground out, a fifth-inning sacrifice fly and the game-winning homer.
The loss snapped a streak of 127 straight wins for the Padres when they took a lead into the ninth inning at Petco Park.
The Padres were leading 6-3 behind an offense led by back-to-back homers by Cory Spangenberg and Austin Hedges off former Padre Jhoulys Chacin.
Manny Pina and pinch-hitter Jesus Aguilar opened the ninth with back-to-back singles and the Brewers loaded the bases when Hand failed to field a come-backer for an error. Jonathan Viller singled home Pina and Aguilar scored on a ground out by Lorenzo Cain.
The Padres got a brief respite when first baseman Eric Hosmer threw out Orlando Arcia at the plate for the second out.
But Braun then lined a 0 -2 pitch from Hand 396 feet into the second deck in left.
Reliever Oliver Drake was credited for the win (1-0). Corey Knebel got the save (1). Hand took the loss (0-1).
Chacin, who had a 9-4 record and a 1.79 earned run average for the Padres in 16 starts at Petco Park last year, gave up four runs on seven hits (including the two homers) Friday night.
Meantime, Padres left-handed starter Joey Lucchesi allowed three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings in his Major League debut.
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the first against Lucchesi on a double by Cain, a single by Travis Shaw and a double by Domingo Santana.
The Padres struck for three in the bottom of the second. Freddy Galvis opened the inning with a single ahead of the homers by Spangenberg and Hedges, who had gone 0-for-24 to start the 2017 season.
Margot extended the lead to 4-2 in the fourth with a one-out RBI single. Milwaukee cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth when Cain opened the inning with his second double of the game and scored on Braun's sacrifice fly.
Carlos Asuaje returned the Padres to a two-run lead in the seventh with a two-out RBI double that scored Matt Szczur, who pinch-ran for Wil Myers. The Padres scored their final run in the eighth on a two-out RBI double by Hosmer.
--Field Level Media
Milwaukee | San Diego | |
Jhoulys Chacin | Player | Joey Lucchesi |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
3.1 | IP | 4.2 |
1 | Strikeouts | 1 |
7 | Hits | 7 |
10.80 | ERA | 5.79 |
Milwaukee | San Diego | |
Lorenzo Cain | Player | Eric Hosmer |
2 | Hits | 2 |
1 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 0 |
4 | TB | 3 |
.400 | Avg | .500 |