The San Diego Padres cruised to a 4-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in Sport 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 over the Los Angeles Dodgers, whereas Atlanta will hope to pressure a winner-takes-all Sport 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 broadly scrutinized for buying and selling celebrity outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees this previous offseason as a part of an effort to shed payroll. Nevertheless, King — the centerpiece of San Diego’s return for Soto — informed the New York Submit in January that he felt his new crew received 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 gained 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 recreation, in keeping with MLB Stats.
It is onerous to say {that a} crew that traded a expertise like Soto away actually “gained” 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 may quickly be thought of the winner of the offseason blockbuster.
Braves feeling the results of Monday’s doubleheader towards 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 towards the New York Mets to resolve whether or not they would even make the playoffs.
After dropping the primary recreation of the doubleheader, Atlanta was compelled to roll out its typical beginning lineup, that 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 employees, nevertheless it was clear that the Braves had been exhausted, and the outcomes replicate that.
Along with being shutout, Atlanta struck out 15 occasions and picked up seven hits, solely considered one of which went for additional 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 towards the Braves, it obtained its most important 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.
