The San Diego Padres cruised to a 4-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in Recreation 1 of the wild-card collection on Tuesday behind a dominant efficiency from beginning pitcher Michael King.
San Diego is now one win away from advancing to the Nationwide League Division Collection and taking up the Los Angeles Dodgers, whereas Atlanta will hope to drive a winner-takes-all Recreation 3. Listed here are three takeaways from the Padres’ win:
Padres right-hander Michael King’s offseason prediction might maintain true
The Padres had been extensively scrutinized for buying and selling famous person outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees this previous offseason as a part of an effort to shed payroll. However, King — the centerpiece of San Diego’s return for Soto — instructed the New York Put up in January that he felt his new workforce acquired the higher finish of the deal.
“I proceed to reward [Padres general manager] A.J. Preller and be assured in saying I really feel just like the Padres received the commerce,’’ King mentioned. “I really feel just like the expertise we’ve gotten, I used to be shocked to see the Yankees half with that many individuals.”
The 29-year-old was stellar within the common season, posting a 2.95 ERA with 201 strikeouts in 173.2. Regardless that Soto has been excellent for the Yankees, King greater than proved his price with a superb efficiency on Tuesday.
King tossed seven scoreless innings, permitting 5 hits and racking up 12 strikeouts, the second-most by a Padres pitcher in a postseason sport, in accordance with MLB Stats.
It is exhausting to say {that a} workforce that traded a expertise like Soto away actually “received” the deal. Even so, if King can preserve his momentum all through the postseason, supplied San Diego advances previous the wild-card spherical, the Padres might quickly be thought-about the winner of the offseason blockbuster.
Braves feeling the consequences of Monday’s doubleheader in opposition to Mets
Atlanta confronted loads of adversity to achieve the postseason, dropping key items Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider and Austin Riley to season-ending accidents at varied factors all year long. The Braves bumped into one other impediment on Monday, having to participate in a doubleheader in opposition to the New York Mets to determine whether or not they would even make the playoffs.
After dropping the primary sport of the doubleheader, Atlanta was pressured to roll out its typical beginning lineup, which means its stars performed 18 innings earlier than hopping on a cross-country flight to San Diego. To not take credit score away from the Padres pitching workers, nevertheless it was clear that the Braves had been exhausted, and the outcomes mirror that.
Along with being shutout, Atlanta struck out 15 occasions and picked up seven hits, solely considered one of which went for further bases.
Contemplating the state of the roster, coupled with San Diego’s spectacular displaying, a collection deficit feels insurmountable for the Braves.
Outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. is San Diego’s X issue
Though San Diego solely had 5 hits in opposition to the Braves, it obtained its most vital one within the first inning. On the primary pitch of his at-bat, Tatis hammered an AJ Smith-Shawver fastball 415 ft into the second deck in left area at Petco Park for a two-run homer.
