In front of a roaring sellout crowd of 47,647 at Petco Park, the San Diego Padres shut down the Atlanta Braves 4-0 in Game 1 of their National League Wild Card Series. Fernando Tatis Jr. stole the spotlight with a thunderous two-run homer, while Michael King delivered a masterful pitching performance in his postseason starting debut.
Tatis wasted no time making his mark, launching a towering 415-foot home run on his very first swing in the postseason in four years. His first-inning blast off a 94 mph fastball from Braves rookie AJ Smith-Shawver sent the ball sailing into the second deck, igniting the fans into a frenzy. It was a triumphant return to the playoff spotlight for the 25-year-old star, who missed significant time this season due to a stress reaction in his right thighbone.
Tatis’ home run celebration was nothing short of iconic. After watching the ball soar into the stands, he tossed his bat aside, gestured confidently toward the Padres’ dugout, and punctuated his trip around the bases with his signature stutter step at third base.
The Padres struck early in the second inning as well, when Kyle Higashioka added to the score with a sacrifice fly. Higashioka would later homer in the eighth inning, cementing the Padres’ lead.
On the mound, Michael King was untouchable. In his first career postseason start, King struck out 12 Braves while allowing no runs or walks, scattering just five hits over seven innings. King’s performance put him in rare company, as he became the first pitcher to record 12 strikeouts without issuing a walk or allowing a run in a postseason debut. He joined Padres legends Kevin Brown and Sterling Hitchcock as the only pitchers in franchise history with double-digit strikeouts in a playoff game.
King’s postseason brilliance is part of an impressive run after arriving in San Diego via the blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees last December. His previous playoff experience came during the 2020 AL Division Series with the Yankees, played in front of an empty Petco Park due to the pandemic. This time, he pitched with the full support of a raucous crowd, and the result was night-and-day different.
At just 2 hours and 9 minutes, Game 1 was the fastest postseason game since Greg Maddux and the Braves beat the Dodgers in 2 hours and 8 minutes during the 1996 NLDS. King’s efficient dominance set the tone for the Padres, who seized control early and never looked back.
The Braves, who clinched their Wild Card berth with a doubleheader split against the New York Mets on Monday, faced a steep challenge. Rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, making just his second start of the season, was thrust into the spotlight and struggled to contain the Padres’ bats. The absence of NL Cy Young Award favorite Chris Sale, scratched with back spasms, further complicated Atlanta’s efforts.
Luis Arraez, the three-time batting champion who was acquired from Miami in May, led off with a single before Tatis’ blast. Arraez, who won batting titles with Minnesota and Miami, made history by becoming the first player since the 1800s to achieve this feat with three different teams.
Game 1 also marked Tatis’ first playoff experience in front of a full house. His previous postseason appearances came in 2020 during the pandemic-shortened season, and he missed the Padres’ 2022 playoff run due to an 80-game PED suspension. His home run on Tuesday came on the anniversary of his two-homer performance in the 2020 Wild Card Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, a fitting reminder of his postseason pedigree.
Mike Shildt, in his first season managing the Padres, faced off against his former team in this playoff showdown. Shildt had previously managed the Cardinals when Tatis’ postseason heroics first took center stage.
With the Padres taking Game 1, they now hold the upper hand in the best-of-three series. A win in Game 2 on Wednesday would secure their place in the National League Division Series, where they would face their biggest rivals, the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres will look to build on their 2022 success, where they eliminated the 111-win Dodgers in the NLDS.
San Diego was the only home team to win on Tuesday, setting themselves up for a potential clinch in front of their home fans. All eyes now turn to Game 2, where the Braves will fight to keep their season alive while the Padres aim to finish the job and advance to the next round.
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