ATLANTA -- Madison Bumgarner came into Wednesday night's start against the Atlanta Braves with a 4.50 road ERA, but pitching at Turner Field is like a home game for the San Francisco Giants ace from North Carolina.

Bumgarner struck out nine in 7 1/3 dominant innings as the Giants defeated the Braves 6-1 to take the three-game series.

"What a great job he did," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He had really good focus tonight, and he helped save some guys in the bullpen who needed the rest."

The left-hander is 4-1 in five starts at Atlanta, including the clinching victory in the 2010 National League Division Series.

"He's pitched well about everywhere. He's one of the best," Bochy said. "But I'm sure he's a little amped up here with his relatives coming down from North Carolina."

Bumgarner (12-6), the 2014 World Series MVP, allowed one run on seven hits and no walks, lowering his ERA to 3.28 in the 116-pitch outing. He had gone 19 1/3 consecutive innings at Turner Field without allowing an earned run until catcher Ryan Lavarnway followed a single by second baseman Jace Peterson with an opposite-field, RBI double in the seventh inning.

"I don't necessarily think having family here is the key to how I pitch (in Atlanta), but there was quite a few people who made the trip," said Bumgarner, who has won his past five overall starts against the Braves. "There usually is, because it's not too far of a trip. But for whatever reason, we've had a pretty good run of success here."

Giants second baseman Kelby Tomlinson, making his first major league start, drove in three runs with two singles to start his career 3-for-3 after an extra-inning pinch double in the series opener. Catcher Buster Posey also had hits in his first three at-bats to back Bumgarner.

With the victory, the Giants (59-48) remained two games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and took the season series from the Braves 4-3 after a four-game split earlier in San Francisco.

Braves rookie right-hander Williams Perez (4-2) gave up 10 hits in six-plus innings, and five of the six runs he allowed were earned. On May 30 in San Francisco, he pitched seven scoreless innings for his first major league victory.

Perez left Wednesday after giving up a two-run double to third baseman Matt Duffy. Right fielder Hunter Pence delivered an RBI single off reliever Jake Brigham to extend the Giants' lead.

The Braves (48-60) got more than one runner on base against Bumgarner just twice, the first time in the sixth when Nick Markakis doubled and left fielder Jonny Gomes singled too sharply for the Atlanta right fielder to score.

Markakis led off the game with a single up the middle, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Then Bumgarner retired 11 straight before first baseman Chris Johnson lined a hit to center field with two outs in the fourth.

"He was good," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who has seen Bumgarner that way too often. "He was commanding his fastball to both sides of the plate, he was throwing the slider backdoor to right-handed hitters. You know he was pretty dominant against us."

Perez, who gave up four runs before getting an out in his return from the disabled list last Friday in Philadelphia, retired the Giants in order in the first inning.

In the second, though, he hit first baseman Brandon Belt with a pitch with two outs, then gave up consecutive singles to shortstop Ehire Adrianza and Tomlinson. One of the two runs driven in by Tomlinson was unearned because Adrianza moved up on a bobble by center fielder Eury Perez.

Adrianza and Tomlinson struck again in the fourth with a double and an RBI single, respectively, to give Bumgarner a three-run cushion.

Gonzalez admitted that the Braves challenged Tomlinson, the No. 8 hitter, because they didn't want to face Bumgarner.

"He's the whole package," the Atlanta manager said of the good-hitting pitcher. "You'd rather face Tomlinson than face him because he's got three home runs and he's a bat. ... He's just not a normal left-handed pitcher that doesn't swing it real well."

NOTES: An MRI on Giants 2B Joe Panik's back confirmed inflammation but showed nothing more serious. He went on the disabled list Monday. ... SS Brandon Crawford was out of the Giants' lineup for a rest. ... SS Daniel Castro got his fourth consecutive start for the Braves as Andrelton Simmons remained sidelined by a bone bruise on his right thumb. ... CF Angel Pagan (sore knees) was again out of the Giants' lineup. ... The Giants conclude a 10-game trip with four games in Chicago against the Cubs starting Thursday, with RHP Chris Heston (11-5, 3.24 ERA) the scheduled starter. ... Braves RHP Matt Wisler (5-2, 4.44) will start Thursday in the opener of a four-game home series with Miami. ... SS Elmer Reyes was released by the Braves after more than two months on the restricted list. He was arrested on rape charges in May while on a road trip with Triple-A Gwinnett.