SAN DIEGO -- The Padres have won 13 of 14 and have surged into a tie for the top Wild Card spot in the National League. They’ve built five games of cushion on Arizona with six games to play. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to two.
But they aren’t taking any chances.
Ace Michael King will move up in the rotation to start Tuesday’s series opener against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, manager Craig Stammen announced on Sunday after the Padres completed a sweep with a 7-3 victory over the Marlins at Petco Park.
That would line King up to start the regular-season finale against Arizona on normal rest in the event the Padres haven’t yet punched their postseason ticket. (Even though King is jumping ahead of Robbie Ray in the rotation, he will be pitching on normal rest Tuesday because of Monday’s off-day. Ray, meanwhile, has been pushed to Wednesday.)
“It lines [King] up for the last day of the season if that game really matters, and it’s a win-or-go-home type game,” Stammen said. “So it sets up our best pitcher in a win-or-go-home scenario. And then if he doesn’t pitch that game, he would most likely pitch Game 1.”
King has been a rock in the Padres’ rotation this season, posting a 3.03 ERA across 31 starts. He has been especially dominant down the stretch, with a 1.41 mark in his past five outings.
Beyond King, there are some question marks -- as there have been all year. But Walker Buehler continued to make his case for a postseason start with another excellent outing on Sunday, and Nick Pivetta has returned from a flexor strain in his right elbow with a 1.93 ERA in three September starts.
Ray and Casey Mize, San Diego’s two Deadline acquisitions, have not been quite as sharp since their arrival. But they boast extensive track records. In reality, the Padres’ rotation is in the best shape it has been all year.
As things stand, Buehler and Pivetta seem likeliest to follow King in a best-of-three NL Wild Card Series. But that might also be contingent upon the matchup. The Padres also sport the best bullpen in baseball -- and they’d presumably lean heavily on it in the biggest games.