BOSTON -- Malden's own Kevin McGlinchy was in the visitors' bullpen last night with a big "A" on his Braves cap and a steak bomb from "The Big A" sub shop on Highland Avenue in his stomach.

For McGlinchy, it's the perfect homecoming.

"Pretty good pregame meal," said the 21-year-old about his visit to the restaurant with the best pizza and subs anywhere. "Hopefully, I'll have some clam chowder for later; that would be perfect."

This is McGlinchy's first time at Fenway Park as a big-leaguer, and his first time back since the Red Sox gave him a tryout in the spring of 1995 when he was a senior at Malden High.

The Red Sox passed on McGlinchy, who was taken by the Braves in the fifth round. Four years later, after skipping through the Braves' pitching-rich system - he skipped Triple A altogether - he broke camp with the team this spring and is surpassing everyone's expectations in the set-up role.

"He's going to be an overpowering closer in a year or two," said Braves manager Bobby Cox of McGlinchy, who began the game with a 2-2 record, 2.05 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 26 1-3 innings.

McGlinchy said he has nothing to prove to the Red Sox, but there is clearly some element of revenge in his comeback. "I threw off the mound for them here, but I never came back," said McGlinchy. "I've never paid it too much concern. I didn't really know how good I was back then. I'm glad the Braves picked me.

"At the time (in 1995), the word on me was that I wasn't too smart, so I've always felt like I've had something to prove to the Red Sox and a bunch of other teams," said McGlinchy, whose favorite Red Sox growing up was Wade Boggs. "I went to college (Central Florida Community College) after Malden and I was a 2.8, 2.7 student, so that's the last thing I can have said about me. Other things were said, too. A lot of my friends said, 'Screw you, we want the Red Sox to win.'

"It's OK though. If I had played for my home team, there's always a jinx, right? I don't know how true it is, but it probably would be a lot tougher."

McGlinchy said he had to leave about 18 tickets for friends and family, far fewer than Billerica's Tom Glavine had to leave.

He said he heard that approximately 200 or so people from Malden bought tickets for this game a long time ago, soon after tickets went on sale. He believed that more than a few of those tickets were bought near the Braves bullpen.

"They're like, 'Hey, wave to me if you see me,' " said McGlinchy about what acquaintances were telling him yesterday. "Huh? I'm going to see them in the ballpark with all those people?"

He laughed and said he just wanted the first game back to get over with.

"It's one of those bittersweet things," said McGlinchy. "There's not going to be too much pressure. It will probably feel like Opening Day, like I'm going to war again. I'll just throw some camouflage on."

It won't work. The Malden folks will know exactly who he is.