SAN DIEGO — The stadium was louder Tuesday evening, the pregame introductions have been longer, the stakes have been greater. However these have been the exact same 2024 San Diego Padres — and it took one inning to show it of their 4-0 victory in Sport 1 of the Nationwide League Wild Card Collection.
Michael King struck out the facet within the prime of the primary. Luis Arraez labored a full depend and sprayed an opposite-field single to begin the underside half. That set the stage for Fernando Tatis Jr., who was launched to a postseason crowd — an actual postseason crowd, not 2020-edition cardboard cutouts — for the very first time.
The 47,647 followers — the most important crowd in Petco Park historical past — erupted. One pitch later, they turned up that decibel degree by a number of notches. Tatis had demolished a fastball from Atlanta right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver, staring it down because it carried a Statcast-projected 415 toes to the second deck in left discipline.
“We had the power at this time,” Tatis mentioned in his postgame interview on ESPN. “These followers are wonderful. I simply acquired fortunate sufficient to place my barrel on the ball. Subsequent factor we all know, this place goes loopy.”
The Padres have been on their solution to a pivotal victory, pushing a beleaguered Braves staff to the brink. Within the transient historical past of the best-of-three Wild Card Collection, all six groups to win Sport 1 at residence have accomplished the two-game sweep.
“That is as loud a stadium as we’ll play in,” Padres supervisor Mike Shildt mentioned. “And it is good to have it on our facet.”
Tatis’ blast was greater than sufficient offense for an totally dominant King, although catcher Kyle Higashioka tacked on a pair of RBIs — a sac fly within the second inning and a solo residence run within the eighth.
King’s stuff was electrical, as he grew to become the primary pitcher in MLB historical past to punch out 12 whereas permitting no runs or walks in his first postseason begin.
“I believe feeling that strain from the beginning of the sport was one thing that I wished to make use of to my benefit and construct off of,” King mentioned. “So feeling the gang noise, figuring out how massive postseason video games are, all of it performed into my mentality.”
The Padres assigned Sport 1 to King on Saturday in a little bit of a shock transfer. King had by no means made a postseason begin, in spite of everything, and he had simply accomplished his first common season as a full-time starter. The 29-year-old right-hander — who was the important thing piece within the five-player commerce package deal for Juan Soto final December — greater than met the second.
King used a dizzying mix of pitches to maintain Braves hitters off-balance. He had way back silenced questions on his workload by posting a 2.15 ERA within the second half of the common season. However on Tuesday, King took it up one other degree.
“He was unbelievable,” mentioned Higashioka, King’s catcher for his solely different postseason look — mop-up responsibility within the 2020 ALDS. “The playoff environment clearly juiced him up and acquired one of the best out of him.”
Within the eighth inning, Jason Adam grew to become the primary Padres reliever to strike out the facet in his postseason debut. Robert Suarez slammed the door within the ninth. Petco Park raged. Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Then the entire ballpark sang his hit, “All The Small Issues,” in unison two hours later.
“The environment right here — it was stunning,” Arraez mentioned. “We simply have to maintain doing that. We’ve got an incredible staff, man.”
The Padres posted one of the best report in baseball after the All-Star break (43-20), using a wave of fine pitching, good hitting and good vibes. These vibes carried over into Sport 1 — and now it’s crucial they keep.
Quick playoff collection might be fickle. The Braves have been the ultimate staff to clinch their spot within the postseason with a win in Sport 2 of a doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday. They didn’t arrive in San Diego till after midnight PT. On paper, the Padres had each benefit.
“Yeah, however, I imply, you may by no means take any opponent flippantly,” Higashioka mentioned. “I’m positive they’re taking part in with nothing to lose. They’ve been put within the worst potential state of affairs, when it comes to comfort not less than. Groups are harmful once they’ve acquired nothing to lose.
“For us, it’s about staying targeted and never letting up ever and never taking something as a right. We’ve acquired to come back out and do it tomorrow.”
It was identified to Higashioka that it is perhaps simpler to take action, now that King had lined seven innings additional preserving an already contemporary bullpen.
Higashioka nodded, then countered.
“Yeah,” he mentioned. “However once more: No letup.”
A date with the Dodgers looms within the NL Division Collection, if the Padres can end the job.