Jason Grilli didn't measure up well in the comparison of closers.
After Grilli blew a lead in the ninth inning, the Atlanta Braves watched their former star Craig Kimbrel close out the San Diego Padres' 5-3 win in 11 innings on Monday night.
Matt Kemp's double off the left field wall drove in former Braves outfielder Justin Upton with the go-ahead run in the 11th. Then Kimbrel earned his 200th career save with three quick outs.
Melvin Upton Jr., the only of the three former Braves players who was greeted by boos, scored the tying run as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning.
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?
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"Come back tomorrow, that's what we've gotta do."
Kimbrel was perfect in the 11th, including a strikeout of Todd Cunningham to end the game.
"I tell you what, everybody was talking this afternoon that Craig wasn't right, his numbers weren't right," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "He looked pretty darn good there, that ninth inning. He looked like the guy who saved a lot of games for the Atlanta Braves."
Kimbrel made a triumphant return to Atlanta after being traded to the Padres in early April. He reached the milestone 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.
"It was definitely cool," Kimbrel said of his dramatic homecoming.
Justin Upton led off the 11th with a walk from Cody Martin (2-3). He 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.
Yonder Alonso led off the ninth with a ground-rule double that bounced over the right-field wall. Melvin Upton, who struggled in his two seasons with the Braves, entered the game one out later as a pinch-runner for Alonso. Upton moved to third when Grilli's wild pickoff throw sailed into center field for an error and 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.
