Padres Set Pitching Rotation for NL Wild-Card Series vs Braves

Valentina Martinez | Sep 30, 2024

Sep 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King (34) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres announced their starters for the best three wild-card series against the Atlanta Braves.

Right-handed pitcher Michael King will take Game 1. Joe Musgrove will get Game 2 and Dylan Cease will follow in Game 3, if need be.

Padres starters for wild-card series:

G1. Michael King
G2. Joe Musgrove
G3. Dylan Cease

“We picked them out of a hat,” Mike Shildt said.
He was joking but also making a point about the interchangeability of the rotation.

Yu Darvish will be in the bullpen for this series.

— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) September 30, 2024

Yu Darvish will be in the bullpen for the wild-card series, likely because the Padres expect to beat the Braves and want to rest the All-Star.

“We picked them out of a hat,” Mike Shildt jokingly told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Shildt's jest was a testament to the rotation being a fungible commodity. The Padres have a huge advantage over the Braves since Atlanta just finished a doubleheader against the New York Mets on Monday.

The Braves will have to catch a flight to San Diego following the dramatic two-game thriller for Game 1 of the wild-card series Tuesday night.

Atlanta was able to split the series with the Mets. New York won a wild 8-7 victory in the first game of the double billing. The Braves took the final game with a 3-0 victory.

After a dramatic doubleheader, Atlanta will have to face a hungry Padres team.

“We’ll be ready on Tuesday, and we’ll be prepared and eager and hungry to go compete,” Shildt said after Sunday's game. “… We’ll work out, and whenever the final out gets tallied and they tell us who we’re playing, we’ll get ready to compete.”

Braves ace Chris Sale was shockingly scratched from the second game of Monday's doubleheader at Truist Park because of back spasms. The National League Cy Young favorite hasn't been ruled out of the series against San Diego.

"Sale said he's pitched with much worse, but Braves didn't want him to risk further injury today," David O'Brien of The Athletic reported. "Said it's bothered him some for a while, but felt it more last night. They made a decision after he came in today, around noon. It's a day-to-day thing, Alex Anthopoulos said."

Atlanta used nine pitchers against the Mets, including two relievers who pitched twice. The Padres have won four out of the seven meetings against the Braves this season. San Diego dropped two of the last three at Petco Park in the final series with the Braves.

The winner of the Padres Braves series will head to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers in the NLDS. San Diego is the favorite to win the matchup since the Padres have been the hottest team since the All-Star break.