Michael King delivered six solid innings, with Manny Machado driving in two runs and David Peralta hitting a home run, as the San Diego Padres secured a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night, marking the Pirates’ ninth consecutive loss.
The Padres have now won 18 of their last 21 games since July 20 and claimed their eighth straight series victory. Meanwhile, the Pirates have dropped 11 of their last 12 games.
“They kept going after the sinker,” King said. “It wasn’t in my original plan, but I noticed it early on and kept using it.”
King (10-6) struck out 10 batters, allowed seven hits, and issued no walks, with 70 of his 93 pitches being strikes. The 29-year-old right-hander has won five of his last six starts since June 29.
“He controlled the counts, and that’s how you keep the other team from scoring,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “He made a lot of quality pitches.” Pirates starter Luis Ortiz (5-3) allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits, striking out three and walking two over five innings.
Ortiz escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, allowing an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Machado that scored Luis Arraez, giving San Diego a 1-0 lead. Pittsburgh’s Ji Hwan Bae made a brilliant diving catch on Machado’s sinking line drive to prevent further damage.
In the fourth inning, with Machado on first, Bae made another spectacular leaping catch near the center-field wall to end the inning, robbing Jackson Merrill.
Peralta launched a 410-foot home run to right-center field off Ortiz in the fifth inning, extending the Padres’ lead to 2-0.
“Another great swing tonight to get us that second run. He’s been outstanding,” Shildt said. “He’s a guy who brings it every night. He’s a glue guy for our team.”
Machado added an unearned insurance run in the eighth inning, driving in Arraez from third base against reliever Kyle Nicolas.
The Pirates tallied eight hits but stranded seven runners on base. Pittsburgh reliever Ben Heller pitched two scoreless innings.