SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 13: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the first inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 13, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Michael King is dominant as Friars complete sweep of Colorado at Petco Park
When Michael King is on ... really, really ON ... he's one of the best pitchers in baseball. The Rockies were unlucky enough to experience that first-hand on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.
King made the best start of his life, a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts, in a 6-0 San Diego win to complete a weekend sweep of Colorado. It's the Padres 6th shutout of the season and made some impressive franchise history (more on that later).
Pitching with a lead makes things a lot easier. The Padres jumped all over Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland in the 1st inning with a rally started by Luis Arraez's one-out single. After Manny Machado drew a walk and Xander Bogaerts flew out it was a bunch of new guys making their presence felt.
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Oscar Gonzalez singled home Arraez, Yuli Gurriel singled to plate Machado, and Jose Iglesias sent a double into the right-centerfield gap to bring home two more and make it a 4-0 Padres lead. King took that advantage and ran with it.
With one out in the 5th inning King finally allowed a hit, a seeing eye single off the bat of Michael Toglia. It didn't phase the big righty one bit. King retired the next 10 Rockies he faced. He was so efficient, the Padres bullpen that's been the best in baseball to start the season didn't even have anyone stand up to get loose until the 8th inning.
In the bottom of the 7th, the Padres got another run (and another good sign) when Jason Heyward singled home Machado, the second straight game Heyward has driven in a run as his bat continues to show signs of waking up.
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With one out in the 8th, King finally put another runner on base when he walked Hunter Goodman. Not only was it the first walk he issued, it was his first three-ball count of the afternoon. After the bottom of the 8th, the only drama left was whether or not King, who'd thrown just 93 pitches, would be allowed to go back out a shot at his first career shutout.
When he emerged from the home dugout, the sellout crowd erupted. After that, there was no doubt he was going the distance.
King struck out Adael Amador, gave up a single to Ezequiel Tovar, and erased him by inducing a double play ball from Nick Martini to make some history for himself and his organization.
The Padres shut out the Rockies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, making this the first time San Diego has ever blanked an opponent in every game of 3-game set.
The Friars have won all 10 games they've played at Petco Park this year, which is why they continue to have the best record in Major League Baseball. They try to make it 11 when the Chicago Cubs come to town to start a 3-game series on Monday night and the freshly-shorn Dylan Cease takes the mound against Jameson Taillon.
