Much of the discussion heading into Game 1 of the Braves Wild Card Series against the Padres surrounded who would start, but at the end of the day, it probably didn’t matter who Brian Snitker and company landed on.
Tuesday night belonged to Michael King. A centerpiece of the trade that sent Juan Soto to New York, King got his first opportunity as a starter with the Padres and is amid a career year, recording a 2.95 ERA and amassing 201 strikeouts over 173.2 innings.
King didn’t give Braves fans much hope from start to finish. Atlanta threatened in the first inning, getting runners on the corners with two outs following a Matt Olson bloop single into right field, but a Jorge Soler strikeout prevented any damage. It was one of only three times the Braves would get a runner into scoring position on the night, as King racked up 12 strikeouts without allowing a single walk.
On the flip side, it took all of about five pitches for the Braves to realize that starting 21-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver, who had not appeared in a major-league game since May 23rd, was a mistake. Luis Arraez began the game with a single, which was followed by a towering shot into the second deck off the bat of Fernando Tatis Jr.
Smith-Shawver did a decent job of finishing the frame without letting things get out of hand, but in the second, he found more trouble, and Brian Snitker had seen enough, turning to Aaron Bummer.
If you’re looking for a bright spot in what was a dreadful game for the Braves, the bullpen was unbelievable. From the second to the eighth inning, they didn’t allow a single hit, which was finally broken when Kyle Higashioka homered to stretch the Padres lead to four.
The combination of Aaron Bummer, Jesse Chavez, and Luke Jackson gave the Braves lineup a slew of opportunities to get back in the game, but sometimes, you just have to tip your cap. I’m not sure any lineup would have had much success against Michael King the way he was rolling, who finished seven innings, striking out 12 with just five hits allowed.
It was always going to be a tall order for the Braves to come out and win this game. They played a doubleheader on Monday, didn’t land in San Diego until midnight, and had a rookie with virtually no major-league experience on the mound. If they stole it, great, but in many ways, the series starts tomorrow with Max Fried on the bump. If they can win that, Reynaldo Lopez should be fresh and ready for Game 3.
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Photo: Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire
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