Michael King Just Pitched a Gem, But Griffin Canning's 25 Walks Could Still Doom the Padres

Alright, you guys gotta hear this! We just saw some absolute wizardry on the mound from Michael King for the Padres on Monday night. Seven. Scoreless. Innings. Seriously! He shut down the Braves, giving up only six hits and punching out five, with ZERO walks. Absolute clinic! Manny Machado smashed a solo homer in the fourth, and that was literally all they needed for a tight 1-0 win. You love to see it when a pitcher just takes over a game like that, right?

One Bright Spot Can't Hide a Season of Struggles

Manager Craig Stammen has been holding strong, saying he believes his starters will turn it around after a road trip where the hitting looked better but the pitching was, well, sketchy. And King definitely delivered for a night! But let's be real, one gem doesn't erase everything. The Padres' starters came into Monday with the fourth-fewest innings thrown in the National League, and their collective 4.63 ERA is tied for the third-highest. That's a rough look, folks. Even with King's brilliant performance, their record is sitting at 21-25. Stammen keeps saying, "We believe that the starting pitching will get better. We're working with them every day." We gotta hope that belief starts paying off consistently.

Canning's Mound of Trouble and the Braves' Deep Dive

Now, here's where it gets dicey for Tuesday night's game. Griffin Canning is slated to get the ball, and man, his numbers are a serious head-scratcher. H

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e's sitting at 1-5 with a 6.64 ERA. Yeah, he grabbed his first win last week against St. Louis, throwing 4 1/3 innings and giving up one run as a bulk reliever. He even said he felt like he was "attacking the zone a little bit better." But the truth is, he's allowed 25 walks in just 42 innings this season! Plus, in his two career starts against the Braves, his ERA is a whopping 9.00. That's a mountain to climb! Speaking of mountains, the Braves are definitely in one right now. Monday's loss was their eighth in 11 games, their first real rough patch this year. Their bats were quiet, only seven hits, and *zero* with a man in scoring position. Michael Harris II crushed a liner that got snatched up on the warning track, brutal luck. But other failures? That 0-2 slider Mike Yastrzemski couldn't pull the trigger on in the ninth with the winning runs on base? Oof, that stings! Mason Miller got his 21st save, huge for him! Even with injuries, manager Walt Weiss is trying to play it cool, saying they've "dealt with that most of the year." They're hoping rookie JR Ritchie (1-2, 4.54 ERA) can step up, but he just got shelled for three homers in his last start. He's allowed seven dingers and walked 21 in 35 2/3 innings this season. Yikes! So, can Canning deliver, or will the Braves finally find their rhythm against him and Ritchie? This Tuesday game is more than just another W or L; it's about whether the Padres' pitching can finally start clicking or if the Braves can pull themselves out of this slide. Get ready, this one's gonna be intense!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.