SAN DIEGO — The National League Division Series between the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers resumes Tuesday evening at Petco Park, tied at one game apiece, with right-hander Michael King set to pitch for the Padres.
In his most recent appearance, King pitched seven shutout innings, struck out 12, didn't walk a batter and limited the Atlanta Braves to five hits in the Padres' 4-0 victory in Game 1 of a National League Wild Card Series last Tuesday.
King said he would "definitely take a little bit of confidence from" his performance against the Braves, "but definitely needs to be flush because it's a totally different team."
"I've got a totally different approach. I can't use the same sequences. Can't use the same pitches to a lot of these hitters, and then it's just continuing to be able to read swings and trust Higgy," King said, referring to catcher Kyle Higashioka, who was traded with King in the seven-player deal with the New York Yankees Dec. 7 that sent outfielders Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Bronx.
Higashioka has caught 55 of King's 146 regular-season appearances.
The last time King faced the Dodgers, he allowed one run and three hits in five innings and was credited with the victory in the Padres' 4-2 win at Dodger Stadium Sept. 24 that assured them of a postseason berth.
"Michael has great presence," Padres manager Mike Shildt said. "His makeup and his competitive spirit is something that was coveted. His stuff is outstanding as well. He's a nice, quiet competitor, but he's got some real fire to him.
"His stuff is really, really good. The ball moves tremendously. The two-seamer's, you look at it, it's like, wow, that's really nasty. And he's got the sweeper that's got some big-time action to it. And the change-up is nasty. He can equalize righties and lefties. He's got the complete package."
King's 2.95 ERA was fourth in the National League. He has a combined 14-9 record in the regular and postseason in 2024, with the Padres posting a 19- 12 record in his 31 starts.
King is 2-0 with a 2.82 ERA in five appearances against the Dodgers, including a 2-0 record and 3.10 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance this season.
Dodger designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is 6-for-14 lifetime against King for a .429 batting average with three home runs and four RBIs. This season Ohtani is 4-for-9 for a .444 batting average against King, with one home run and one RBI against King.
Fellow right-hander Walker Buehler will make his eighth start for the Dodgers since returning from a rehabilitation assignment to their Triple-A Oklahoma City affiliate. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 5.20 ERA since returning to the Dodgers. He was 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA for the season.
The Dodgers are 9-7 in Buehler's 16 starts. Buehler is 6-1 with a 1.82 ERA lifetime against the Padres, including the postseason. The loss came May 12 when he allowed three runs and five hits in 3 1/3 innings in a 4-0 loss.
Buehler had "a lot of self-doubt" and "there was some physical things that were adding to that," before the rehabilitation assignment, manager Dave Roberts said.
"But then he worked his way back, and I do think that the last couple starts got the confidence," Roberts said. "And he'll be the first to tell you he loves the big moment, the big game. And this is just an opportunity for him to basically wash away and make right or right this season that he's had.
"This is the most confidence I've seen Walker in a couple of years."
The Padres defeated the Dodgers, 10-2, in Game 2 Sunday at Dodger Stadium, hitting a postseason-record-tying six home runs, in a game that included fans directed profanities and obscene gestures to Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., after he blew kisses to the stands and seemed to strut after making a catch in the fourth inning; Dodger pitcher Jack Flaherty verbally sparring with Padres' third baseman Manny Machado in the sixth inning; and fans throwing two baseballs into the outfield and beer cans and water bottles onto the field before the start of the seventh inning, prompting an approximately 10-minute delay.
"There's going to be a lot of emotions tomorrow," Roberts said Monday. "It's going to be hostile. It's going to be noisy and rowdy. And it's up to us to still stay focused and compete and fight."
ESPN's matchup predictor gives the Padres a 64.7% chance of winning, and the Dodgers a 35.3% chances.
The 6:08 p.m. game will be televised by FS1.
