Michael King delivered a historic two-inning save on just one day of rest, propelling the Padres past the Brewers to force an NLDS Game 4.
The tension at Petco Park on Tuesday was palpable, the kind of atmosphere that consumes a stadium when the walls are closing in. Down two games to none in the NLDS, the San Diego Padres were staring at the end of their season.
Then came Michael King.
With the Padres clinging to a 4-3 lead against the Milwaukee Brewers. the 31-year-old right-hander stepped onto the mound in the eighth inning. He wasn’t supposed to be there—not after pitching just one day prior. But in the postseason, traditional rotation logic evaporates. King took over for Yuki Matsui and proceeded to silence the Milwaukee offense for two critical innings to seal the win and keep San Diego alive.
His performance was more than just a lockdown effort; it was historic. By firing six outs on such short turnaround, King became the only MLB pitcher to start a postseason game and record a six-plus-out save within a 48-hour window since the stat became official in 1969.
This outing served as the backbone of a bullpen effort that saw Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam also contribute. cleaning up the work left behind after Nick Pivetta exited. Across his 40 pitches against eight batters, King recorded one strikeout, allowed one hit, and walked two. It was his first save of this postseason and his first since 2023.
King, who honed his craft as a reliever for the New York Yankees, is no stranger to the high-stakes grind. He was a force during the Padres’ wild-card sweep of the Chicago Cubs. a series where he flirted with a no-hitter in Game 1. After that dominant display. he captured the mood of the clubhouse perfectly: “Adrenaline is a crazy drug. and I’m looking forward to it for the next five weeks.”.
The victory shifts the momentum back toward a Game 4 at Petco Park on Wednesday. For now, the path forward remains a mystery, as neither the Padres nor the Brewers have announced their starting pitchers for the high-stakes showdown.
For a team that was just three outs away from an early exit, Wednesday represents a clean slate. The survival of their season hinges on whether they can replicate the grit and tactical flexibility they found when their back was against the wall.
Michael King San Diego Padres Milwaukee Brewers NLDS MLB Playoffs Petco Park baseball news