SAN DIEGO (AP) — Michael King struck out 11 in five innings and Jackson Merrill homered for the San Diego Padres, who started 6-0 for the first time in their 57-season history by beating the Cleveland Guardians 7-0 on Tuesday night.
The Padres’ previous best start was 4-0 in 1984, when they went to their first World Series.
King and four relievers combined on a two-hitter for the Padres, who have won the first two games of the three-game series between teams that made the postseason in 2024.
The Padres have thrown shutouts in three of their last four games. Lefty Omar Cruz pitched a perfect ninth in his major league debut. San Diego’s bullpen extended its scoreless streak to 24 innings.
King (1-0) bounced back from his opening day start, when he couldn't get out of the third inning in a 7-4 win against the Atlanta Braves.
The right-hander was dominant from the start Tuesday, striking out the final two batters of the first and fanning the side in the second. He allowed a leadoff single in the fifth and then struck out the side. He allowed two hits and walked one.
Merrill, a lefty, homered to right-center on the first pitch he saw from lefty starter Logan Allen with two outs in the fourth. It was the first for Merrill, who had 24 last season, when he was an All-Star and finished second to Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Allen (0-1) allowed four runs and four hits in seven innings, with five walks and one strikeout.
Key moment
San Diego's Jason Adam relieved Yuki Matsui with two runners on and two outs in the seventh and the Padres leading 4-0. He hit Brayan Rocchio with a pitch to load the bases and then struck out Steven Kwan to end the threat.
Key stat
Merrill has at least one hit in all six games.
Up next
Guardians RHP Ben Lively and Padres RHP Dylan Cease are scheduled to start the series finale on Wednesday.
