Braves vs Padres Free Pick, MLB Free Pick, MLB Prediction 10/1/24
- J.A. Cavalier
- Oct 1, 2024
- 3 min read
ATLANTA @ SAN DIEGO (SD -155, 6.5)
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BRAVES @ PADRES 10/1/24
The San Diego Padres acquired Michael King as part of their December trade of Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, but it was unclear how he would pan out. Just nine of King's 49 New York appearances in 2023 were starts. But with Michael Wacha, Blake Snell (the 2023 National League Cy Young Award winner), and Seth Lugo all leaving as free agents, San Diego desperately needed a starter.
There is no disagreement regarding King's role over ten months later. The 29-year-old right-hander will open Tuesday night's game between the fourth-seeded Padres and the fifth-seeded Atlanta Braves in their best-of-three National League wild-card series.
Atlanta, which made the playoffs at the last possible moment on Monday, has no clear plans for their pitching staff. The Braves have yet to name a starting pitcher.
During the regular season, King made 31 appearances (30 starts), going 13-9. He also finished fifth in strikeouts (201) and fourth in the NL in ERA (2.95). Of his 30 starts, he allowed two earned runs or fewer in 23 of them. Padres manager Mike Shildt has said that King has pitched extremely well all season.
According to Shildt, he told King on Saturday that he would start the first game. Wednesday will see Joe Musgrove start Game 2, and on Thursday, if needed, Dylan Cease, another right-hander, will pitch Game 3.
King will play in his second postseason as a professional on Tuesday. In Game 3 of the Yankees' 2020 American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, he pitched two perfect innings of relief. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when that series was played in San Diego, the ballpark was empty. Nowadays, Petco Park is regarded as one of the best settings in the majors, and King is excited about the vibe. He has only ever faced Atlanta once in his career, and that was with the Yankees last season. He allowed just one hit in his 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.
On Monday, the Braves split a doubleheader with the New York Mets to secure a postseason spot for the seventh year in a row. After blowing a ninth-inning lead in the opening game and losing 8-7, Atlanta won the second game 3-0 to secure a postseason berth.
Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38 ERA), the star left-hander for Atlanta, was unable to pitch in the doubleheader because of back spasms that he experienced during his previous start on September 19 against the Cincinnati Reds. Braves manager Brian Snitker said that Sale will not be pitching during the series against San Diego.
The Braves had an injury-plagued team this season, so star first baseman Matt Olson wasn't too concerned about the situation his team finds itself in. The biggest loss on offense was Ronald Acuna Jr., the 2023 NL MVP. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in May. Slugger Austin Riley (broken hand) is also out for the season, but third baseman Ozzie Albies (fractured wrist) just made a comeback.
Standout right-hander Spencer Strider, who made two starts at the beginning of the season before needing elbow surgery to end it, was one of the pitchers lost. This season, the Padres have a 4-3 record against the Braves.
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FREE PICK: PADRES-BRAVES UNDER 6.5
It’s playoff time. Michael King (13-9, 2.95) starts for the Padres. He’s allowed 2 ER or fewer in 23 of his 30 starts this season, including his last eight in a row. Atlanta hasn’t announced a start, but you know they will pull one out of a hat and it’ll be good. Plus, their bullpen ERA ranks third in MLB. The Braves have scored 3 or fewer runs in 4 of their last 5 games. The Padres scored 3 or fewer runs in 3 of their last 5 and both teams have seen the Under hit 7 times in their last 10 games.
