**Padres Shut Out Braves in Wild Card Series Opener**
The San Diego Padres kick-started their Wild Card Series with a commanding 4-0 win over the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park. Padres’ starting pitcher Michael King delivered an outstanding performance, pitching seven scoreless innings, allowing only five hits, and racking up 12 strikeouts.
Fernando Tatis Jr. set the tone early for San Diego, smashing a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to bring home Luis Arráez and put the Padres up 2-0. San Diego continued to add to their lead in the second inning with a sacrifice fly from Kyle Higashioka, scoring Jake Cronenworth and making it 3-0.
Higashioka further cemented the Padres’ dominance with a solo home run in the eighth inning, resulting in the final score of 4-0. Michael King was credited with the win, while Braves’ pitcher A.J. Smith took the loss after pitching just 1.1 innings, allowing four hits, three runs, and recording one strikeout.
Robert Suarez earned the save for the Padres, sealing the victory. Game 2 of the series is set for Wednesday, October 2, with Max Fried scheduled to start for the Braves and Joe Musgrove set to take the mound for the Padres. The first pitch is slated for 5:38 PM.
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**Additional News: Braves Hope to Bounce Back After Game 1 Defeat**
Following their Game 1 defeat, the Atlanta Braves are looking to regroup and put up a better fight in the second game of their Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres. Despite falling short in the opener, the Braves are confident in their ability to turn the series around with their top pitcher, Max Fried, taking the mound.
Fried, who has been a crucial part of the Braves’ rotation this season, will look to counter the dominant pitching performance by Michael King in Game 1. The Padres, on the other hand, are riding high on their momentum and will send Joe Musgrove to pitch Game 2, aiming to close out the series with another strong showing.
Both teams understand the importance of this series and will be looking to make the necessary adjustments. Fans can expect an intense and competitive matchup as the Braves fight to stay alive in the postseason, while the Padres look to secure their place in the next round.