Tatis, King, and a Franchise Moment at Petco Park
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Fernando Tatis Jr. sent 42,000 fans into a frenzy on the very first pitch of the postseason Tuesday night, crushing a leadoff home run — the first in Padres franchise playoff history — to open Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series. San Diego went on to defeat the Chicago Cubs 8-0, a margin that still understates how thoroughly the home side dominated.
Right-hander Michael King carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against a Cubs lineup that had entered the series as Major League Baseball's leading run-scoring club. That the Padres' pitching staff held the league's best offense scoreless through six-plus innings in an elimination game may be the most significant data point of the young postseason. Manny Machado added to the offensive output, giving the night a three-pronged quality — dominant starting pitching, a statement home run from their franchise centerpiece, and production from the veteran core.
Nick Pivetta is scheduled to start Game 2 tonight at 7 p.m. at Petco Park. A Padres win eliminates Chicago entirely and advances San Diego to the National League Division Series in Milwaukee; a Cubs win forces a decisive Game 3 on Thursday. Conditions at the park should be favorable, with temperatures in the low 70s around first pitch and patchy coastal fog expected later in the evening. Whether King's performance represents a genuine reflection of where this pitching staff stands — or an anomaly that a desperate Cubs lineup will correct — is the question the next few hours will answer.