Major League Baseball

Kemp, Kimbrel lead Padres over Braves in 11 innings

Published Jun. 8, 2015 11:07 p.m. ET

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ATLANTA (AP) Craig Kimbrel tried his best to say reaching a milestone in his Atlanta homecoming was just another save.

Finally, he had to acknowledge this was different, just as it was for the Upton brothers also returning to Atlanta.

Matt Kemp drove in the go-ahead run with a loud double, Kimbrel earned his 200th career save and the San Diego Padres beat Atlanta 5-3 in 11 innings on Monday night.

Melvin Upton Jr. scored the tying run as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning after a wild pickoff throw and Justin Upton scored the go-ahead run on Kemp's double in the 11th.

Kimbrel was perfect in the 11th, including a strikeout of Todd Cunningham to end the game.

''It was definitely cool,'' Kimbrel said of the save.

Kimbrel made a triumphant return to Atlanta after being traded to the Padres in early April. He reached No. 200 in his 318th game - faster than any pitcher in major league history. Jonathan Papelbon recorded his 200th save in his 359th game for the previous fastest pace.

''You look at all the greats and he's not there by any means, but he's off to a good start,'' said Padres manager Bud Black of Kimbrel.

The Padres forced extra innings by scoring one run off Braves closer Jason Grilli in the ninth.

Justin Upton, facing Atlanta for the first time since his offseason trade from the Braves, led off the 11th with a walk from Cody Martin (2-3).

Upton stole second and easily scored when Kemp doubled off the left-field wall. Kemp scored on Alexi Amarista's double.

Brandon Maurer (3-0) retired the Braves in order in the 10th.

Grilli, hurt by his throwing error on a pickoff attempt, couldn't hold a 3-2 lead in the ninth. He blew his second save in 17 chances.

A testy Grilli greeted reporters with his own questions.

''You got more of the same questions?'' Grilli asked. ''I made a bad throw? What are we gonna run with? What do you guys want to fill the air time with? Anything?

''Come back tomorrow, that's what we've gotta do.''

Yonder Alonso led off the ninth with a ground-rule double that bounced over the right-field wall before Grilli struck out Will Middlebrooks.

Atlanta fans booed as Melvin Upton, who struggled in his two seasons with the Braves, entered the game as a pinch-runner for Alonso. He moved to third when Grilli's wild pickoff throw sailed into center field for an error. Upton, who came off the disabled list before the game after missing two months with a left foot injury, scored the tying run on Cory Spangenberg's sacrifice fly.

Two former Padres - Cameron Maybin and Jace Peterson - each had two hits for Atlanta.

Braves starter Shelby Miller allowed only five hits and one run in seven innings as he lowered his ERA to 1.84.

San Diego's Ian Kennedy allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings.

MAYBIN STREAKING

Maybin, acquired by Atlanta as part of the trade that sent closer Kimbrel to the Padres, kept hitting well. He had a run-scoring single in Atlanta's three-run third inning and added another single in the fifth. Since May 15 he has raised his batting average from .216 to .299.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: RHP Brandon Morrow, on the 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation, has returned to San Diego for a MRI after feeling discomfort in the shoulder in a rehab start with Double-A San Antonio on Sunday. Black said it was a setback for Morrow, who was 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA in five starts before the injury.

Braves: Utility player Kelly Johnson (right oblique strain) was 0 for 3 with a strikeout as he started his injury rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett. He has missed 22 games and still ranks second on the team with six homers.

UP NEXT

Padres: James Shields, off to the best start in his career, will look for his eighth straight win to open then season when he faces the Braves on Tuesday night. At 7-0, he has the best start for a Padres pitcher since Andy Hawkins was 11-0 in 1985.

Braves: Rookie RHP Mike Foltynewicz, who has won only one of his last five starts, will face the Padres for the first time. Foltynewicz is 3-2 after winning his first two starts.