King of the hill! Righty’s 12 K’s, Tatis’ HR propel Padres in Game 1

SAN DIEGO -- The stadium was louder Tuesday night, the pregame introductions were longer, the stakes were higher. But these were the very same 2024 San Diego Padres -- and it took one inning to prove it in their 4-0 victory in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series.

Michael King struck out the side in the top of the first. Luis Arraez worked a full count and sprayed an opposite-field single to start the bottom half. That set the stage for Fernando Tatis Jr., who was introduced to a postseason crowd -- a real postseason crowd, not 2020-edition cardboard cutouts -- for the very first time.

The 47,647 fans -- the largest crowd in Petco Park history -- erupted. One pitch later, they turned up that decibel level by several notches. Tatis had demolished a fastball from Atlanta right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver, staring it down as it carried a Statcast-projected 415 feet to the second deck in left field.

“We had the energy today,” Tatis said in his postgame interview on ESPN. “These fans are amazing. I just got lucky enough to put my barrel on the ball. Next thing we know, this place is going crazy.”

The Padres were on their way to a pivotal victory, pushing a beleaguered Braves team to the brink. In the brief history of the best-of-three Wild Card Series, all six teams to win Game 1 at home have completed the two-game sweep.

“This is as loud a stadium as we're going to play in,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “And it's good to have it on our side.”

Tatis’ blast was more than enough offense for an utterly dominant King, though catcher Kyle Higashioka tacked on a pair of RBIs -- a sac fly in the second inning and a solo home run in the eighth.

King’s stuff was electric, as he became the first pitcher in MLB history to punch out 12 while allowing no runs or walks in his first postseason start.

• With King (12 K's, 0 runs), the Padres had an ace up their sleeve

“I think feeling that pressure from the start of the game was something that I wanted to use to my advantage and build off of,” King said. “So feeling the crowd noise, knowing how big postseason games are, it all played into my mentality.”

The Padres assigned Game 1 to King on Saturday in a bit of a surprise move. King had never made a postseason start, after all, and he had just completed his first regular season as a full-time starter. The 29-year-old right-hander -- who was the key piece in the five-player trade package for Juan Soto last December -- more than met the moment.

King used a dizzying blend of pitches to keep Braves hitters off-balance. He had long ago silenced questions about his workload by posting a 2.15 ERA in the second half of the regular season. But on Tuesday, King took it up another level.

“He was incredible,” said Higashioka, King’s catcher for his only other postseason appearance -- mop-up duty in the 2020 ALDS. “The playoff atmosphere clearly juiced him up and got the best out of him.”

In the eighth inning, Jason Adam became the first Padres reliever to strike out the side in his postseason debut. Robert Suarez slammed the door in the ninth. Petco Park raged. Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Then the whole ballpark sang his hit, “All The Small Things,” in unison two hours later.

“The atmosphere here -- it was beautiful,” Arraez said. “We just need to keep doing that. We have a great team, man.”

The Padres posted the best record in baseball after the All-Star break (43-20), riding a wave of good pitching, good hitting and good vibes. Those vibes carried over into Game 1 -- and now it’s imperative they stay.

Short playoff series can be fickle. The Braves were the final team to clinch their spot in the postseason with a win in Game 2 of a doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday. They didn’t arrive in San Diego until after midnight PT. On paper, the Padres had every advantage.

• FAQ: Braves-Padres NL Wild Card Series Game 2

“Yeah, but, I mean, you can never take any opponent lightly,” Higashioka said. “I’m sure they’re playing with nothing to lose. They’ve been put in the worst possible situation, in terms of convenience at least. Teams are dangerous when they’ve got nothing to lose.

“For us, it’s about staying focused and not letting up ever and not taking anything for granted. We’ve got to come out and do it tomorrow.”

It was pointed out to Higashioka that it might be easier to do so, now that King had covered seven innings further preserving an already fresh bullpen.

Higashioka nodded, then countered.

“Yeah,” he said. “But again: No letup.”

A date with the Dodgers looms in the NL Division Series, if the Padres can finish the job.