Michael King struck out 12 in seven shutout innings and Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a massive two-run homer to help the host San Diego Padres notch a 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday in Game 1 of a National League wild-card series.
King allowed just five hits, walked none and retired the final 10 batters he faced in his first career postseason start. He fell four strikeouts short of the franchise postseason record, set by Kevin Brown in 1998.
“I thought he was fantastic,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “Everything was working. He had a really good sinker. You could see a lot of movement. The changeup was filthy and the sweeper/slider was good as well. He really pitched exceptionally well.”
King, cracking a big smile, told MLB Network: “I actually felt like I gave up (more) hits than I wanted.”
Kyle Higashioka also homered and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly for the fourth-seeded Padres.
Michael Harris II had two hits for the fifth-seeded Braves.
Game 2 is Wednesday evening in San Diego.
Padres reliever Jason Adam struck out three in the eighth while working around a hit, and Robert Suarez allowed a hit in the ninth before finishing it out in a non-save situation.
Atlanta’s AJ Smith-Shawver (0-1) was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to start the contest and he lasted just 1 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs on four hits and no walks while striking out one.
Smith-Shawver was pressed into action due to ace left-hander Chris Sale’s back injury. The Braves decided Tuesday not to include Sale on the wild-card roster.
Luis Arraez led off the San Diego first by floating a single into left field. Tatis then stepped into the box and jumped all over Smith-Shawver’s first-pitch fastball and sent it flying into the second deck in left. The 415-foot blast was Tatis’ third career postseason homer.
“He gave me a pitch I could barrel,” Tatis said, “and next thing we know, it was in the stands.”
In the second, Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch and Donovan Solano singled to put runners on the corners. Higashioka’s sacrifice fly scored Cronenworth and made it 3-0.
Higashioka smacked a homer to left-center in the eighth off Luke Jackson to increase the margin.
King worked out of trouble in the first inning after giving up a leadoff single to Harris and a two-out single to Matt Olson. He fanned Jorge Soler to end the inning, his third strikeout of the frame.
King also gave up a one-out single to Harris and a two-out single to Marcell Ozuna in the third, but he fanned Olson to end the threat.
“I felt like I did a lot of homework beforehand,” King said. “Every time I got into a big situation, I’d just go back to the scouting report. And if I knew their holes, I felt confident in going after it.”
Travis d’Arnaud’s two-out double to left in the fourth was the final hit allowed by King.
“He was really good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of King. “That sweeper was really good and his fastball was really quick. We didn’t score because he did a great job. We had some opportunities. He made pitches when he had to. It was a lot to do with him instead of us.”
–Field Level Media
