SAN DIEGO — Michael King has faced the Guardians seven times as a starter and reliever for the Padres and Yankees. That’s seven times too many, should you be wearing a Cleveland uniform.
Manager Stephen Vogt was asked about King before Tuesday night’s game at Petco Park. Here’s how he described him: “He can get you out in four different directions. His ball breaks 20 inches one way and 20 inches the other. It can go straight down and he can get you up top.”
It’s unclear if King did all that on another chilly night in San Diego, but he struck out 11 in five innings to befuddle the Guardians in a 7-0 win by the Padres. The Padres are now a franchise-best 6-0 to start the season.
King, who struggled in an opening day start against the Braves, is 2-0 with a 0.40 ERA in his career against the Guards. In his seven appearances against them, his teams are 7-0.
Tuesday night, King (1-0, 3.52) threw five scoreless innings. Besides his 11 strikeouts, he walked one and allowed two hits.
Four relievers followed him to the mound to complete the two-hit shutout.
“King was unbelievable tonight,” said Vogt. “Sinker, slider, changeup, but more importantly he was nailing the top rail (Top of the strike zone) all night. It seemed like he didn’t miss one four-seamer.
“We made him work. We made him throw a lot of pitches (88), but with 11 strikeouts. Tip your cap to him.”
Lefty Logan Allen made his 2025 debut for the Guardians. He opened with with three scoreless innings, but the long ball and walks, a painful reminder from last year, hurt him.
Allen (0-1, 5.74) allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked five with only one strikeout.
“I was happy to get out there for six ups (5 1/3 innings),” said Allen. “I would have like to put up a few more zeroes. But that’s a tough lineup.
“I was happy to be efficient. It’s kind of a weird line to look up and having five walks, but to get through it efficiently is what I’m trying to do ... I think I’m in a good spot.”
Allen threw 62 percent (55 for 89) of his pitches for strikes.
Jackson Merrill gave the Padres a 1-0 lead with a two-out homer in the fourth. The Guardians had just turned their third double play of the night when Merrill hit Allen’s first-pitch cut fastball over the fence in right center field for his first homer of the season.
Allen allowed 22 homers in 97 1/3 innings last season.
The Padres pushed their lead to 3-0 with two runs in the fifth. Jose Iglesias beat out an infield single to short to start the inning. Allen walked Brandon Lockridge and Elias Diaz advanced them with a sacrifice bunt.
A sacrifice fly by Fernando Tatis Jr. and an RBI single by Luis Arraez made it 3-0. The inning ended when center fielder Daniel Schneemann threw out Arraez as he tried to go first to third on Manny Machado’s single. It was Cleveland’s third outfield assist in the first two games of the series.
The Padres made it a 4-0 game in the sixth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Jake Cronenworth. Allen set the inning in motion with consecutive walks to Merrill and Yuli Gurriel with one out. Paul Sewald relieved and Iglesias greeted him with a single to cengter to score Merrill.
San Diego added two uneared runs in the seventh to make it 6-0 as the Guardians kicked the ball around.
Joey Cantillo started the inning by walking Tatis and Machado with one out. Tatis scored on Xander Bogaerts’ grounder to second that Gabriel Arias couldn’t handle. Machado scored when catcher Bo Naylor’s throw sailed into center field as Bogaerts stole second.
San Diego stole three bases in the inning.
Arias may have had a chance to throw out Tatis at the plate, but he bobbled the ball and then threw late to first. He was originally charged with an error, but it was later changed to a fielder’s choice.
“It’s a do-or-die play at home,” said Vogt. “Tatis got a good jump. You’re trying to make a decision in a split-second. It looked like he was going to make a quick throw, but at the last second changed his mind.”
The Padres made it 7-0 in the eighth. Cronenworth scored when Jose Ramirez failed to catch an infield pop up by Elias Diaz. It was the Guardians’ second error of the game.
Allen pitched into and out of trouble in the third. He walked Iglesias to start the inning and gave up a double past third to Lockridge as Iglesias stopped at third. With no one out, and the infield playing in, Diaz sent a smash to Carlos Santana at first for one out as Iglesias held third.
Tatis sent a grounder to Brayan Rocchio at short, who threw home to get Iglesias, who was running on contact. The threat ended when Arraez grounded out to second.
Kwan and Arias were the only Guardians with hits.
San Diego relievers Jeremiah Estrada, Yuki Matsui, Jason Adams and Omar Cruz completed the two-hitter in relief of King. The Guardians have not scored a run against the Padres’ bullpen in two games.
“They have a bunch of different looks out of the bullpen,” said Vogt. “They throw a bunch of different pitches. Their lefties are better against righties. The same with their righties, alont of them are tougher on lefties.
“They’re just a really good bullpen that get both righties and lefties out. You have to get to their starters, and they’re really good as well.”
First Published April 2, 2025, 11:27 a.m.
