Putting a Spin on Pitching Chaos, Michael King Saves Padres' Season By Closing Out Brewers

[Steve Drumwright]

 

If you thought pitching chaos was a thing at the end of July, the San Diego Padres took it to a new level in Game 3 of the NL Division Series.

And because of that, their season remains alive for at least one more day.

What Nick Pivetta started, Michael King finished. How it got to that formula and what happened in between was certainly chaotic. But that describes the Padres' season in a nutshell. Now, thanks to a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in front of the third-largest Petco Park crowd of 47,708, the Padres have their first win of the NLDS and can pull even in the series Wednesday (7:08 p.m., FS1).

As desperate as the Padres were in the final days of July to get anything positive in the early innings of games, the sixth day of October saw the Friars clamoring for a finishing touch to an elimination game from a unit that has been one of the toughest in all of MLB this season.

Only the two biggest arms the Padres had relied upon weren't available. Superstar closer Mason Miller was abruptly removed from the roster shortly before first pitch as his wife went into labor. Miller's sidekick, left-hander Adrian Morejon, was unavailable for a second game in a row after he threw two innings in Game 1 and took the loss after giving up a seventh-inning homer to Padres fans' newest villain, William Contreras.

With starters in MLB playing a bigger role in end-of-game situations as the regular season came to a close and now in the postseason, King rose to the occasion for the Padres when they needed it the most. In addition to Morejon's Game 1 loss, Miller unexpectedly yielded a walk-off single to Jackson Chourio with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning in Sunday's Game 2.

Knowing his teammates' situation, King was ready for a relief role in Game 3. While manager Craig Stammen said in his pregame press conference that both of his big bullpen weapons were good to go, he knew they weren't. That deception is fine. You don't want the other team to know all your secrets.

There were heroes all around in this game, from Jackson Merrill's defense to Jake Cronenworth's homer to Xander Bogaerts' all-around play. But this one belongs to King.

The ace right-hander had thrown 72 pitches just two days before in Milwaukee. But the Padres needed more from him and he delivered. King had made just one relief appearance in his three seasons in San Diego, coming in 2024 during the regular season.

King has been the Padres' savior all season. While it wasn't known publicly about Morejon's status, it seemed pretty clear when the seventh inning rolled around and King started to warm up. That would have been prime Morejon territory. Stammen said after Game 3 that Morejon was battling a shoulder issue. After right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez escaped the eighth inning after allowing the Brewers to pull within 4-3, it was King's turn.

While the pressure was high, King entered the game to face the Nos. 7-8-9 hitters in Cooper Pratt, Sal Frelick and Joey Ortiz. Pratt hit a deep fly down the right-field line that was snared on the run by Fernando Tatis Jr. Frelick grounded out to Cronenworth at second base. David Hamilton pinch-hit for Ortiz and singled to center, bringing up the top of the order in Chourio, the Brewers' postseason star in each of his three MLB seasons. But Chourio grounded out to Bogaerts at short to take it to the ninth.

King got his only strikeout when Jake Bauers led off the ninth by going down swinging. Contreras drew a feisty nine-pitch walk, then Brice Turang walked on six pitches. Was King tiring? Was the adrenaline rush wearing off? Up came Christian Yelich, the Brewers' captain who already had two hits and his first postseason RBI since the 2018 NL Championship Series. King threw Yelich a first-pitch slider that was pounded into the ground and right at Bogaerts, who was playing up the middle. Bogaerts fielded the ball, stepped on second and then threw to first to edge Yelich for a game-ending double play.

King got the save after Morejon and Miller couldn't in Games 1 and 2. He hadn't had a save since notching six in 2023, his final season with the New York Yankees before being traded to the Friars.

 

Now the question is what do the Padres have left? Right-hander Walker Buehler is probably the starter for Game 4 after Robbie Ray was up in the bullpen in the ninth inning in case of extra innings, although the left-hander could get the nod as he did for Game 1. As Pivetta did in Game 3, he will have a short leash. There will be more bullpen chaos needed. Will Miller be back? What is Morejon's availability? Left-hander Yuki Matsui held his own by getting three outs, then Rodriguez came on to get four outs. Both have pitched in all three games.

Stammen will have to trust someone he has yet to put into a postseason game, whether it is right-hander David Morgan or right-hander Joe Musgrove, especially early on. Jason Adam, who got just one out in the fifth inning in Game 2, and Rodriguez will need to be saved for late-inning situations regardless of whether Miller returns for Game 4. Ray will be an early option along with Morgan and Musgrove if he doesn't start with Buehler being that guy if he doesn't start.

But those are situations to be addressed as they arise in Game 4. For now, the Padres live another day thanks to a little more chaos.

 

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