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San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt had a decision to make. He could have started his ace Dylan Cease in Game One of the Padres Wild Card series against the Atlanta Braves. Joe Musgrove or Yu Darvish would also have been solid options. But Shildt went with the lesser known Michael King, who had two innings of postseason experience entering the all-important series opener against Atlanta.
King rewarded his manager’s faith with a brilliant performance, shutting down the Braves and leading the Padres to a 4-0 victory. King went seven innings, allowing no runs on five hits and striking out 12 batters while issuing no walks. The 29-year-old righty made history with the win, becoming the first pitcher to record 12 strikeouts without allowing a run or a walk in his first-ever postseason start.
While Shildt was no doubt proud, Braves manager Brian Snitker was also impressed by the Padres’ hurler’s performance. “Really good. That sweeper, whatever, really good. I thought his fastball was really quick, too. It was getting on top of our guys. And we didn't score but he did a great job. We had some opportunities and made pitches when he had to,” Snitker said of King, per the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jeff Sanders on X.
The Padres acquired King in their massive Juan Soto trade with the New York Yankees prior to the 2024 season. The six-year veteran had spent five seasons in New York before swapping coasts. While King pitched well for the Yankees, he couldn’t quite catch on as a starter for the Bombers. However, he produced an excellent season as a member of San Diego’s rotation.
The Padres’ Michael King was magnificent in his first postseason start
King went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA, 1.192 WHIP, 10.4 K/9 and an ERA+ of 139 in 173.2 innings for the Padres during the regular season. He accumulated 4.1 bWAR in 31 appearances (30 starts) for San Diego. And now he can add postseason stud to his resume.
Braves hitters were baffled by King as he struck out nine different batters in his seven innings of work. Meanwhile, the Padres provided some much needed run support early to boost the confidence of their first-time playoff starter.
Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed a 415-foot two-run bomb to left center in the first inning as San Diego quickly jumped on top of Atlanta. Catcher Kyle Higashioka added a sacrifice fly in the second inning to give the Padres a 3-0 lead. That was more than King would need. However, Higashioka added a solo homer in the eighth to make it a 4-0 game. Rookie of the year frontrunner Jackson Merrill made some history during San Diego’s win, becoming the youngest player in Padres’ history with a postseason hit.
The two teams face off again on Wednesday as San Diego looks to advance to the NLDS while the Braves hope to stave off elimination. Unfortunately for Atlanta, ace Chris Sale will not be available during the Wild Card round due to a back injury.
