Padres pay steep NLDS Game 4 price for Michael King’s six-out save

Michael King saved the Padres’ season Tuesday night. Now they may just have to deal with the consequences. That might sound weird to say after King recorded the final six outs of San Diego’s 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, but the postseason doesn’t hand anything out for free. 

The Padres escaped elimination because one of their best starting pitchers volunteered to become their closer two days after throwing 72 pitches in Game 2. King added another 40 in Game 3. That’s 112 pitches across three days, with only Monday separating the assignments. The Padres needed every bit of them. And now they need 27 more outs the following night. Craig Stammen may have his work cut out for him drawing up the pitching plan.

Michael King gave the Padres everything he had

King allowed one hit and two walks over two scoreless innings, striking out one and earning his first save in more than four years. His command wasn’t particularly sharp in the ninth, and the Brewers brought the tying run to the plate. King kept fighting until Christian Yelich scorched his 40th pitch toward Xander Bogaerts.

Bogaerts fielded the one-hop liner, stepped on second and fired to first for the double play to end the ballgame.

King became the first pitcher in Padres history to start a game and earn a save in the same postseason series. He also became the 16th pitcher since saves became official in 1969 to throw at least five innings as a starter and record a save in the same playoff series.

It’s historic and expensive.

“I have bullets in my arm that I don’t want to save,” King said afterward.

How could you not love to hear that if you’re a Padres fan? King understood the situation, walked into Craig Stammen’s office and declared himself available. Stammen took him at his word and the Padres are still playing because of it.

The trouble arrives immediately. King’s six-out save removed the easiest emergency option from an already complicated Game 4 pitching plan. He may insist that he can take the ball again, but the Padres cannot reasonably build Wednesday night around a pitcher who just absorbed this kind of workload.

Craig Stammen has to find 27 outs without his emergency ace

Walker Buehler gets the Game 4 start, and the assignment is suddenly enormous. Mason Miller’s status remains uncertain after he was placed on the postseason paternity list shortly before Game 3. His wife went into labor, and baseball can wait while he handles something far more important. If Miller returns, they get their closer back. Until that happens, Stammen cannot write his name into the plan.

Adrián Morejón brings another layer of uncertainty. The left-hander was unavailable Tuesday because of shoulder fatigue. Calling it “stickiness” or slow recovery doesn’t make the situation any cleaner. Morejón may feel ready for Game 4. The Padres still have to decide whether his shoulder agrees.

Jason Adam, Yuki Matsui and Bradgley Rodriguez all worked in Game 3. Joe Musgrove could enter the high-leverage mix. Stammen acknowledged as much after the victory. Every alternative comes with a question, and Milwaukee will spend the afternoon looking for the weakest answer.

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