Michael King didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning, Kyle Higashioka drove in two runs with a double, and the San Diego Padres defeated the American League Central-leading Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Sunday.
King’s chance for a no-hitter ended when Angel Martínez singled to center to lead off the seventh inning.
The right-hander was acquired from the Yankees in a major trade that sent Juan Soto to New York on December 7, 2023.
“I thought I made a good pitch, but the ball found a gap,” King said. “I believe we can compete with top teams like Cleveland. They are tough at home, but I think we handled their lineup well.”
Jeremiah Estrada followed King, and Robert Suarez closed the game, recording the final four outs for his 23rd save and completing the two-hitter.
The Padres took two out of three games from the Guardians, who have the best home record in the majors at 31-13.
King (8-6) pitched seven innings, giving up one run and two hits with six strikeouts and one walk. In six career games against Cleveland, he has a 0.51 ERA over 17 2/3 innings.
“Maybe I’m biased, but I think he was a bit unlucky with that single,” Higashioka, who was also part of the Soto trade, said. “He was sharp and could have easily thrown seven scoreless innings. It’s always great to catch him because I know how talented he is.”
On Saturday, Dylan Cease, Estrada, and Yuki Matsui combined to allow just one hit in a 7-0 victory over Cleveland, limiting them to only two baserunners.
The Guardians struggled at the plate, going 3 for 55 in the two-game stretch, marking their first series loss since April 13-14 against the Yankees.
“Michael was outstanding today,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “Our starting pitching throughout the series was exceptional.”
