SAN DIEGO -- The Padres have won six straight games and nine of their last 10. Their slow start already feels like ancient history.
Here’s some reaction from Petco Park, after San Diego’s 4-1 series-opening victory over Seattle on Tuesday night.
The Padres need this from Michael King
On Tuesday, Nick Pivetta landed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. He joined Joe Musgrove, who has been on the IL all season for the same reason.
That’s two of the three frontline starters the Padres envisioned leading their rotation this season. It’s not clear when we’ll see either of them. Musgrove has yet to throw off a mound since a Spring Training setback in his return from Tommy John surgery. As of first pitch Tuesday, the Padres were still sorting through the results of Pivetta’s MRI.
“Pivetta’s one of my best friends out there,” said King, who worked six innings of one-run ball on Tuesday night. “So it sucks not being able to watch him every fifth day. Other guys are definitely going to have to step up. But as far as me -- I’m just going to keep doing what I’m trying to do.”
If the Padres could count on a consistently excellent version of King every fifth day, it would go a long way toward easing some of the concerns about their rotation.
Thus far, King hasn’t quite rekindled the 2024 version of himself. He’s missing too many spots. Still, King has been mostly solid this year, and he lowered his ERA to 2.78, even without his best stuff.
“Long way to go,” King said. “I still don’t feel super confident in the pitch locations that I’ve got right now. Mechanically, I’m definitely making adjustments. … Today was better than my last one.”
Behind King, the emergence of Randy Vásquez has been huge for the rotation. But the final three spots currently belong to Walker Buehler, Germán Márquez and Matt Waldron (who will be activated to take Pivetta’s place this weekend).
There are major question marks at the back end. The Padres need stability at the front. King seems to be providing it.
Bogaerts’ big at-bat
Through the first week or so of the regular season, there was no Padre unluckier than Xander Bogaerts. That luck appears to be turning: In the second inning Tuesday, Bogaerts singled off the second-base bag.
There wasn’t anything lucky about Bogaerts’ second hit of the night. With two men aboard, he fell behind Mariners starter Bryan Woo 0-2, but battled his way into a full count, laying off some tough pitches, including a 2-2 sweeper just off the outside corner.
Woo’s 3-2 pitch was a mistake, and Bogaerts made him pay. He dumped a two-out, two-run single to center, giving the Padres a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“He’s a professional,” said Jackson Merrill, who stole second during the at-bat to get himself into scoring position. “He knows what he’s doing up there. He’s got an advanced approach.”
In the eighth, Bogaerts tacked on some insurance with an RBI single. He finished 3-for-4.
“He’s been taking great at-bats the entire season,” said manager Craig Stammen. “We’ve seen him barrel a lot of baseballs. Tonight, he didn’t really hit them as hard as he’s been hitting them. But we talked about the luck kind of turning our way. … Great night for him, just competing in the box against really tough pitching.”
At last, some positive regression for Morejon
Adrian Morejon was one of the best relievers in baseball last season. Entering play Tuesday, he’d allowed nine runs (eight earned) through 6 2/3 innings.
But here’s the thing: He wasn’t pitching all that poorly. Morejon dealt with some brutal batted-ball luck in his last couple outings. How brutal, exactly? His ERA was 10.80. His FIP -- which essentially predicts ERA, assuming standard results on balls in play -- was 2.14.
“Those first couple outings were more bad luck than anything,” Morejon said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. “This time, I just kept telling myself: ‘Keep your confidence.’ Keep your confidence in yourself to make good pitches, and the results will come.”
Sure enough, Morejon worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a three-pitch strikeout of Patrick Wisdom. Jason Adam and Mason Miller nailed down the eighth and ninth innings, behind him. Just like the Padres drew it up.
It was precisely the type of outing Morejon needed -- more as validation than anything else.
“It feels like I’m back,” he said. “Feels like I’m the Morejon of last year.”