With the season hanging by a thread and Mason Miller unavailable, Michael King stepped into the biggest relief spot of San Diego’s year and helped push the Padres to a 4-3 win over the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLDS.
It was another tight one between these teams - the third one-run game of the series - but this time the Padres were the ones walking away with the result they needed to keep the season alive after back-to-back painful losses.
The bullpen once again carried a heavy load, though San Diego also got hit with some unexpected news before first pitch when Miller was placed on the paternity list as he and his wife are expecting their first child. That left Craig Stammen to piece together the late innings without his closer, and after the Game 2 decision to use Miller in a similar spot ended in a Brewers walk-off, Stammen turned to a different arm for the final six outs.
That arm was King, who had started Game 1. According to Stammen, King was the one who went to him and said he could pitch. Stammen said King even told him he could go again the next day, which would have been Game 4, and potentially Game 5 after that.
King delivered exactly what San Diego needed. He worked two innings, gave up one hit and two walks, threw 40 pitches and finished the game with a double play.
There was also a bit of history attached to the outing. What would normally have been King’s regular bullpen session ended up happening in a live game, meaning he would still be on normal rest if the Padres need him again in a potential Game 5.
King’s performance drew plenty of attention, and for good reason. In Game 2, he had already gone five innings, allowing one run and three hits before coming out.
The Padres signed King to a three-year, $75 million deal last offseason, with options attached, and he could be headed for an even bigger payday if his run in San Diego keeps going the way it has this season.
Game 4 is set for Wednesday night, and if King gets the ball again, that would make for quite the next chapter.
In Other News...
Ronald Acua Jr. Reopened Braves Drama Before A Huge Game 3
Ronald Acua Jr. added a fresh layer of intrigue around the Braves on the eve of Game 3 of the NLDS, using a Spanish-language podcast appearance to share his thoughts on the coaching staff. The comments centered on someone who is no longer with the team, and while Acua and his co-host stopped short of naming the person, the discussion was pointed enough to spark immediate speculation.
For Atlanta, the timing is what makes it stick. With a huge postseason game coming, the remarks have pulled attention back toward a familiar off-field storyline, even though the exact target of Acuas criticism still has not been confirmed. It is the kind of sidelight that can follow a team into October, especially when the baseball itself is about to matter even more. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Had To Change Their NLDS Plan Around Ronald Acua Jr
Ronald Acua Jr. was supposed to be part of the Braves Game 3 NLDS formula in the outfield, but the plan shifted as the series moved on. Lingering knee soreness from a slide in a previous game pushed Atlanta to make a late adjustment, moving Acua to designated hitter and reshaping the rest of the lineup around it.
Sean Murphy was scratched and Lane Thomas was added in right field, while the Braves kept their catching duties aligned behind Chris Sale by leaning on Drake Baldwin. Murphy still remains in the mix as a pinch-hitting option, a reminder that even in October, one nagging issue can force a team to redraw its blueprint on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Braves-Dodgers Game 3 Just Took Two Unexpected Turns
The NL Division Series shifts to Atlanta with the stakes even again, and the broadcast booth is getting an unusual late change before first pitch. Joe Davis will not call Game 3 between the Dodgers and Braves because he lost his voice, so Kenny Albert is stepping in for the national telecast as the series heads to Tuesdays 6:00 ET matchup.
The on-field wrinkle is just as notable for a Braves team trying to seize control at home. Los Angeles is also altering its order, moving Shohei Ohtani into the fifth spot against Chris Sale, a move that adds another layer to a game already carrying plenty of pressure with the series knotted at 1-1. [Read more 🡒]