Jurickson Profar slammed an early grand slam, and Michael King pitched seven solid innings to guide the San Diego Padres to a 4-0 win against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado singled in the first inning, and Ha-Seong Kim walked to load the bases for Profar. He hit a powerful shot just inside the right-field foul pole for his third career grand slam and the Padres’ first of the season.
Profar wasn’t sure if his hit would clear the fence due to its high trajectory and the windy conditions.
King earned his second win of the season with an impressive performance, allowing only four hits and one walk while striking out four batters. Acquired from the New York Yankees in December, King matched his career-long outing.
While King felt he wasn’t at his best, he was efficient and induced soft contact early in counts, a crucial aspect for starting pitchers. He attributed his improvement from his last start against the Giants to a mechanical adjustment.
Padres manager Mike Shildt visited the mound in the seventh inning but decided to stick with King, who struck out Tom Murphy to end the inning.
Keaton Winn, the Giants’ starter, settled down after Profar’s grand slam, allowing no more hits. However, he acknowledged the need to improve his efficiency and reduce walks.
San Diego’s bullpen, consisting of Tom Cosgrove and Stephen Kolek, held the Giants hitless in the eighth inning. Closer Robert Suarez secured the win with a clean ninth inning.
Despite the lead, Shildt chose Suarez to close the game due to his freshness and to prevent the Giants’ dangerous hitters from sparking a comeback.
The Giants announced their second consecutive sellout crowd (40,114) to begin their first homestand of the season.
