Michael King, two days after throwing five innings as the Game 2 starter, entered in the eighth and recorded a six-out save to keep the Padres’ season alive against the MLB-best Brewers.

Michael King delivered one of the most remarkable performances of the San Diego Padres’ postseason run, returning to the mound just two days after starting Game 2 to record a six-out save and keep his team’s season alive.

With the Padres facing elimination against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, King was called upon in the eighth inning to protect a 4–3 lead.

The assignment was anything but ordinary.

King had thrown 72 pitches as San Diego’s Game 2 starter only two days earlier. Yet with the Padres’ All-Star closer Mason Miller unavailable after being placed on the postseason paternity list, the team needed someone capable of handling the pressure of the final two innings.  

King answered the call.

The right-hander allowed just one hit and two walks over two scoreless innings, earning the save and preserving a crucial 4–3 victory. The win reduced San Diego’s series deficit to 2–1 and forced a Game 4.  

The final out was particularly dramatic.

With runners on base in the ninth, Christian Yelich hit a hard ground ball toward shortstop. Xander Bogaerts fielded it, stepped on second base and fired to first to complete a game-ending double play.

King could finally celebrate.

“Six outs to end the game is six outs to end the game,” King said after the victory, explaining that he had made himself available for the situation.  

His performance was even more impressive considering what had happened earlier in the series. In Game 2, King had pitched five-plus innings and allowed just one run while striking out six Brewers hitters.  

Now, just 48 hours later, he was back on the mound in a completely different role.

The Padres also received important contributions from their offense. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado helped San Diego establish an early advantage, while Jake Cronenworth’s solo home run in the fifth inning restored the Padres’ lead after Milwaukee had tied the game.  

The Brewers threatened again in the seventh when Yelich drove in a run, but San Diego’s pitching and defense held firm during the final two innings.

The victory was crucial for the Padres, who had fallen behind 2–0 in the best-of-five series after Milwaukee won both opening games. The Brewers had entered the postseason as the MLB’s best regular-season team with 103 wins, making San Diego’s comeback attempt even more difficult.  

King’s achievement also made Padres history. According to MLB, he became the first pitcher in franchise history to start a game and record a save in the same postseason series.  

For a team fighting to keep its season alive, it was exactly the kind of extraordinary effort the moment demanded.

Michael King had already carried the Padres from the mound in Game 2.