Padres rally to beat Braves in 11 innings
ATLANTA (AP) -- Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run single in the 11th inning, and the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 6-4 Thursday following a benches-clearing incident and the ejection of manager Bud Black.
Players left dugouts in the first after Julio Teheran hit Matt Kemp with a 90 mph fastball. No punches were thrown and no one was ejected.
Black was tossed in the seventh for arguing with umpires Jordan Baker and Jerry Meals.
Craig Kimbrel, facing his former team for the second time in the series, earned his 15th save in 16 chances with a perfect 11th that included Andrelton Simmons' groundout and strikeouts by Christian Bethancourt and pinch-hitter.
Atlanta's struggling bullpen, which began the day with a major league-worst 4.75 ERA, combined with Bethancourt to blow a 4-1 lead during San Diego's three-run eighth.
After a walk loaded the bases with no outs and chased Teheran, Bethancourt's passed ball allowed Solarte, who entered as a pinch-hitter, to score and cut the deficit to 4-2.
Luis Avilan walked Yonder Alonso, forcing in a run. David Aardsman struck out two batters, but Wil Myers scored the tying run when Bethancourt was called for catcher's interference against Cory Spangenberg.
Brandon Cunniff (2-2) walked Derek Norris opening the 11th and allowed Spangenberg's infield single. One out later, Alexi Amarista loaded the bases with a single, and followed with the go-ahead hit.
Dale Thayer (2-0) allowed a hit and walk in 10th.
Baker threw Black out of the game after the Braves went up 3-1 on Jace Peterson's infield RBI single.
Black approached plate umpire Jordan Baker to argue the ball hit Peterson's bat twice before rolling down the first-base line and allowing Simmons to score from third.
Black asked crew chief Jerry Meals to have the umpires convene, but Meals refused. Visibly angry, Black was soon ejected by Baker.
Cameron Maybin followed with a sacrifice fly that gave the Braves a 4-1 lead and chased starter Andrew Cashner.
Freddie Freeman drove in Atlanta's first two runs. His RBI double in the first tied the score at 1-1 and his 11th homer in the sixth made it 2-1.
San Diego Padres' Derek Norris (3) follows through with an RBI-base hit as Atlanta Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt (27) looks on during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, June 11, 2015, in Atlanta.
Cashner gave up four runs, seven hits and four walks in 6 2-3 innings.
Teheran allowed four runs -- three earned -- four hits and three walks in seven-plus innings.
Kemp went 2 for 14 with an RBI in the series.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: CF Wil Myers, out the previous 28 games with tendinitis in his left wrist, went 0 for 5 with a walk after being activated from the disabled list. Myers said he'll have the wrist taped for another four weeks, at a minimum.
Braves: Peterson made a pair of sharp defensive plays at second base and is hitting .381 in 21 at-bats since a cortisone shot June 4.
UP NEXT
Padres: RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (3-4) is 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA in two career starts and one relief appearance against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Braves: LHP Alex Wood (4-3) has a 4.09 ERA and is 0-2 in six starts against the New York Mets. Wood was ejected after five innings for arguing with an umpire in his last start -- a 3-0 loss last Sunday to Pittsburgh.