Michael King Lost Four Straight, Then Threw 7 Scoreless Innings, And The Braves Are Stumbling

Holy smokes, baseball can be absolutely brutal, huh? Last night, the San Diego Padres blanked the Atlanta Braves 1-0 at Petco Park, and if you’re an M's fan watching how tight games play out, you know this one was a nail-biter. A single swing of the bat made all the difference, and it highlighted everything we love and hate about this game. This is the kind of intense baseball that shows you what teams are truly made of, and it’s a big deal when a team like Atlanta looks this out of sorts.

King's Redemption and Machado's Blast: One Pitch, One Run

Can we talk about Michael King for a minute? This dude was on a slide, taking four straight losses and hadn't found a win since May 18, when he also snagged a 1-0 decision against the Dodgers. But last night? Forget about it. King absolutely DEALED, throwing seven scoreless innings. He scattered six hits, didn't walk a single batter, and fanned five, tossing 62 strikes out of his 93 pitches. That's a serious turnaround for the guy, and the Braves just couldn't solve him. And the only run of the night? That came from Manny Machado. Padres first baseman Ty France was on the field, but it was Machado who crushed his 14th homer of the year. He hung on a 1-2 slider in the fourth inning and sent it 418 feet to center field, right into the San Diego bullpen. That one mistake from Braves pitcher Grant Holmes, who gave up the only run over 4 2/3 innings, was all it took. After King, Adrian Morejon worked a clean eighth, and Mason Miller closed it out for his 21st save in 21 chances, even after Austin Riley singled and Dominic Smith walked. Miller got Mike Yastrzemski to look at strike three to end it. Man, th

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at's clutch.

Braves Can't Convert, Padres Leave 'Em Loaded

Despite King's brilliance, the Braves had their moments, but just couldn't cash in. In the second inning, Michael Harris II and Riley led off with singles, but King tightened up and escaped with a pair of grounders and a lineout. Then in the sixth, Matt Olson singled and got to third on a throwing error by Padres first baseman Ty France trying for a double play on Ozzie Albies' groundout. But what happened? Harris grounded out, stranding Olson right there. Talk about missed opportunities. This is what we talk about when we say you gotta get those key hits. Funnily enough, the Padres weren't exactly setting the world on fire with their offense either. They went a brutal 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left a whopping nine men on base. They had two on with one out in the second but Rodolfo Duran grounded into a double play. Duran also struck out with runners at the corners in the fourth. Even in the eighth, Machado led off with a double and Xander Bogaerts walked with two outs, but pinch hitter Jase Bowen whiffed to end the threat. It just goes to show you how a team can still win with one big swing and an absolute gem from the mound. Riley was a bright spot for Atlanta, racking up a game-high three hits, but it wasn't enough. The Braves have now lost eight of their last 11 games, and you gotta wonder what’s going on with their bats. For us Seattle fans, these tight battles are what we live for. It's that kind of grit and single-run magic that makes T-Mobile Park electric when our Mariners, like Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez, dig deep. We know every pitch counts, every at-bat matters, and you just gotta find a way to win. Let's keep that Emerald City energy up for our boys!

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