With King (12 K's, 0 runs), the Padres had an ace up their sleeve

SAN DIEGO – It has to be Michael King. The Padres insisted on it.

Last December, general manager AJ Preller was in the process of trading Juan Soto — the Hall of Fame talent he had previously traded for to acquire the firm. If Preller was going to do something like that, he needed an ace in return.

The king sure looks like that ace, doesn't he?

In his first career postseason start, King rose to the occasion Tuesday night. He struck out 12 Braves in seven scoreless innings, leading the Padres to a 4-0 victory in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park.

King became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out 12 without allowing a run or walk in his first postseason start. It was the kind of outing the Padres dreamed of when they acquired King — even though he didn't finish a full season as a starting pitcher.

After that trade, King was asked about the deal by the New York Post. He bluntly said he felt the Padres “won the trade.” At this time King was panned. In a trade where Soto is going the other way, it's not easy to win.

But on a night like this — the night fellow trade piece Kyle Higashioka overturned King's stellar performance and launched an insurance home run — it was easy to wonder…

“I guess,” King said later, “we'll see Halloween.”

Who knows? Maybe King and Soto will settle that debate on the field in the World Series. It certainly seemed possible on Tuesday. The Padres have done exactly what they've been doing for the last 2 1/2 months as they steamrolled to the majors' best record since the All-Star break (43-20).

Their crime was heinous. They got a moonshot two-run homer from Fernando Tatis Jr. in the first inning. They played clean defense. And they got another brilliant effort from their starting pitcher. King was picked to start Game 1 over Joe Musgrove and Dylan Seege, then lived up to the billing.

“He was great,” Padres manager Mike Shields said. “Everything was working.”

Later, King spoke of embracing the moment. No, he didn't want to do it like any other start. Because it was no other beginning. It was Game 1 of the postseason — a postseason where belief in San Diego for the city's first World Series title is perhaps as high as ever.

“I think that feeling the pressure from the beginning of the game was something that I wanted to use and build to my advantage,” King said. “So feeling the roar of the crowd, knowing how big the postseason games are, it all played into my psyche.”

Before the largest crowd in Petco Park history, King kicked off the night in style. He first struck out the side, then Tatis gave him a lead after the brave gave no life.

“Totally exceeded [expectations]” The king spoke to the crowd. “Pitching in front of them is something I love to do. I'm really happy that we got home-field for the wild card, because it's a tough place to play as an opponent.”

When Raja let Gio Urshela fly to the center to end her night, the crowd chanted her name relentlessly. It was the kind of moment King had been working toward — the kind of start he envisioned, even as the Yankees used him almost exclusively as a reliever.

The Padres could end the series with Musgrove on the mound Wednesday. If not, they'll turn to Seaz — who acquired Drew Thorpe in March — as the centerpiece of a trade package. Thorpe also came to the Soto trade. Like Higashioka, Randy Vasquez and Johnny Brito.

Of course, the Yankees got exactly what they needed from Soto, who helped lead them to the top record in the American League. Whatever King says in January, he is keenly aware that businesses are not so black and white.

“Of course, I was on that team,” King said in August. “And I knew we lacked bats up front [Aaron] the judge … So I think it was necessary for the Yankees to trade for him. And I think having the depth we had for our pitching staff was huge. I think it's a mutually beneficial trade.”

Give it a few weeks, and there could very well be a winner.