Padres Shut Out Dodgers Behind Michael King’s Dominant Night
The Sporting Tribune's Fernando Ramirez writes about how Michael King, Rodolfo Durán, and Miguel Andújar led the Padres to a 1-0 victory.
May 18, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King (34) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. The first test of the season for the San Diego Padres (29-18), and they passed it with a 1-0 victory over the LA Dodgers (29-19). The victory gave the Padres sole possession of first place in the NL West.
It was a pitcher’s duel, with one ball that went yard ultimately deciding the outcome of Monday night’s first matchup of the season between the NL West rivals. There is no doubt who the Padres’ ace pitcher is, and if there was, he put it on display Monday night. Michael King pitched seven innings, allowed four hits, walked two batters, and struck out a season-high nine.
The Dodgers came into the game on a five-game winning streak, having scored 40 runs during that span, but King shut them out through seven innings. “It's always a fun battle against them,” King said. “I felt like they have a really well-balanced lineup, one that you can't just throw the same sequences to all their guys, mix it up right, left, right, left.
A lot of guys that don't chase, so you got to stay in zone, make sure that you're just getting to the execution spot. ” There was a moment in the top of the sixth inning when King allowed three hits, but Stammen stuck with him and rode the hot hand. “That is my guy,” center fielder Jackson Merrill said of King.
Continue to the original source for the full article.