Padres 5, Braves 3 (11 innings)
ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves could have used Craig Kimbrel on Monday night. Instead, their former All-Star closer picked up his 14th save for the San Diego Padres in his first trip back to Atlanta.
The Padres tied the game in the ninth inning thanks to a throwing error by new Braves closer Jason Grilli and scored twice in the 11th for a 5-3 comeback victory.
Right fielder Matt Kemp had a tie-breaking double off right-hander Cody Martin and pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista drove in an insurance run with a two-bagger against Luis Avilan as the Braves bullpen faltered again.
Grilli allowed the Padres to tie it in the ninth with an unearned run that was his fault.
Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso doubled, and gave way to former Braves player Melvin Upton Jr. as a pinch runner. Grilli then threw the ball into center field trying to pick off Upton, and Upton moved up to third.
Second baseman Cory Spangenberg followed with a sacrifice fly and the Braves had their 11th blown save of the season.
Kimbrel had no trouble in the bottom of the 11th, retiring the Braves in order and striking out left fielder Todd Cunningham to end the game.
Braves starter Shelby Miller allowed five hits and a run over seven innings in lowering his ERA to 1.84, but was deprived of his sixth victory. The right-hander struck out six and walked one while throwing 70 of his 94 pitches for strikes.
Padres left fielder Justin Upton drove in center fielder Will Venable, who had doubled off reliever Jim Johnson, with a grounder in the eighth inning to cut the lead to a run before Grilli faltered in the ninth.
Brandon Mauer, who pitched a perfect 10th for the Padres, improved to 3-0 with the victory. Martin, who didn't get an out, is 2-3.
Center fielder Cameron Maybin, who came to the Braves as part of the Kimbrel deal, had his fifth straight multi-hit game. He had two singles to make him 13-for-25 during the hot streak, which has his average at .299.
Padres starter Ian Kennedy needed 107 pitches to make it through five innings. He allowed eight hits and three runs while walking none and striking out six.
Spangenberg put the Padres ahead with a two-out double in the second inning that scored Alonso, who had singled with one out. Spangenberg fouled off five two-strike pitches from Miller before pulling a cutter down the right-field line.
The Padres' lead didn't last long, though, as Kennedy gave up three runs on four hits in the third. Maybin and first baseman Freddie Freeman delivering run-scoring singles and right fielder Nick Markakis had an RBI double.
NOTES: RHP Brandon Morrow returned to San Diego for an MRI on Monday after he experienced discomfort during his second rehab outing with Double-A San Antonio on Sunday. He was 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA before going on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. ... CF Melvin Upton Jr., who had been on the disabled list all season with a foot injury before finishing a rehab stint with Triple-A El Paso, wasn't in the Padres' lineup against his former team. ... LHP Donnie Veal, designated for assignment by the Braves on June 1, was released Monday. ... Braves OF/3B Kelly Johnson (oblique) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. ... San Diego RHP James Shields (7-0, 3.58 ERA) will start Tuesday against Atlanta rookie RHP Mike Foltynewicz (3-2, 4.29). The only San Diego pitcher to open a season with a better record than Shields was Andy Hawkins, who began 11-0 in 1985. ... The Braves were 3-1 at home against the Padres last season but dropped all three games in San Diego.