Facing postseason elimination on October 6, 2026, the San Diego Padres turned to starting pitcher Michael King for a six-out relief appearance, securing a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park.
The San Diego Padres found themselves backed into a corner trailing two games to none and missing key relief arms. Just 45 minutes before the first pitch on Tuesday, closer Mason Miller was placed on the paternity list after his wife went into labor, removing a crucial weapon from the bullpen as reported by Fox News. With fellow reliever Adrian Morejon also unavailable, manager Craig Stammen faced a depleted pitching staff for a must-win game at Petco Park.
Miller had warned the organization before the campaign began that this exact day could arrive, leaving the club preparing for his eventual absence. Down two games to none in the series, the Padres understood that a defeat meant their season would be over immediately. Without their two best relief weapons—including Miller and Morejon, whose shoulder remained sore following a 31-pitch outing over two innings on Saturday—San Diego had to piece together the finish of the game.
Michael King Delivers a Six-Out Save Two Days After Starting Game 2
Rather than relying on conventional bullpen options, the Padres handed the ball to ace Michael King in the eighth inning, just 48 hours after he threw five innings as a starter in Game 2. King tossed 40 high-stress pitches over two frames, escaping trouble in the ninth to preserve the one-run lead.
“He just threw two days ago, and to do that, was just unbelievable. Shocking, really. He’s not only pitching one inning, but two innings? I remember after he pitched Game 2, he made a comment that he’d be available in the bullpen. We’re like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ Even when he went to the bullpen, I still didn’t think he was going to pitch.”
Craig Stammen, Padres manager, via USA Today
Stammen noted that King had personally approached management earlier in the day to declare his complete availability not only for Tuesday, but for the following day and even a potential Game 5. Fernando Tatis Jr. praised the right-hander’s immense contribution, stating that he has carried the club in a massive way. King became the 16th pitcher in postseason history to throw five innings as a starter and record a save in the same playoff series since saves became an official statistic in 1969. He is the first to achieve the feat since Walker Buehler during the 2024 World Series.
Jake Cronenworth Homers and Xander Bogaerts Executes Game-Ending Double Play
Offensively, San Diego manufactured the runs needed to support their pitching staff. Jake Cronenworth broke a 2-2 tie by launching a solo home run off Brewers reliever JoJo Romero.
Earlier in the contest, Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado contributed early runs for San Diego. The Brewers had initially broken through against starting pitcher Nick Pivetta when Cooper Pratt and Sal Frelick hit back-to-back singles, setting up Jackson Chourio to knot the score with a sacrifice fly to left. Pivetta yielded two runs and five hits before being removed.
The Padres added an insurance run in the sixth through aggressive baserunning by Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts evaded a broken bat and Miguel Andujar’s ground ball on his way to third base, then capitalized when Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt threw the ball away, racing home safely to make it 4-2.
Milwaukee mounted a threat in the ninth inning, pulling within one run after William Contreras and Brice Turang drew walks to put the go-ahead run on base. King struck out Jake Bauers to begin the frame before issuing walks to Contreras and Turang. Christian Yelich then scorched a grounder toward shortstop, where Bogaerts scooped the one-hop line drive, stepped on second, and fired to first for a game-ending double play.
Milwaukee Extends Postseason Road Skid as Game 4 Looms at Petco Park
The loss extends Milwaukee’s postseason road losing streak to 12 consecutive games, matching the longest road playoff skid in baseball history despite out-hitting San Diego 11 to 6 and leaving 11 runners on base.
The Brewers still lead the best-of-five series 2-1, but the Padres have forced a Game 4 set for Wednesday night at Petco Park. San Diego plans to start Walker Buehler, while Milwaukee’s pitching plans remain unannounced with Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, and Chad Patrick available.
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