MLB playoffs: Padres overwhelm Braves after Mets, Royals and Tigers win their wild-card Game 1s

That's it. Padres closer Robert Suarez pitches a scoreless ninth, and Game 1 between the Padres and Braves, and Day 1 of the MLB postseason as a whole, are in the books.

Fernando Tatís Jr. launched a towering, two-run home run in the first inning to give the Padres a 2-0 lead. Starting pitcher Michael King took it from there, with a masterful, 12-strikeout performance to lead San Diego to a 4-0 win.

Padres closer Robert Suarez is on the mound for the ninth with a 4-0 lead. He's three outs from securing a Game 1 win.

The Padres add some insurance in the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Higashioka launched a solo home run into the Petco Park bleachers to extend San Diego's lead to 4-0.

The Padres are three outs away from a Game 1 win.

Padres reliever Jason Adam picks up where Michael King left off. He gives up a hit to Ozzie Albies but records three strikeouts and keeps the Braves off the board in the eighth. The Padres maintain a 3-0 lead and are three outs away from a Game 1 win.

Michael King's night is done after a masterful, 12-strikeout effort. The Padres starter allowed five hits and walked none in seven shutout innings. He induced 15 swinging strikes.

Reliever Jason Adam takes over for the top of the eighth.

There's another 1-2-3 inning from the Braves bullpen in the seventh, this one courtesy of Luke Jackson. The Padres haven't scored since tagging 21-year-old starter AJ Smith-Shawver for three runs in 1 1/3 innings. But thanks to starter Michael King, the Padres still lead 3-0.

The Braves have got nothing for Michael King. Two more strikeouts and more swing-and-misses on sweepers well off the plate. King's strikeout tally stands at 12 through seven shutout innings on 89 pitches. Padres lead 3-0 at the seventh-inning stretch.

Jesse Chavez pitches another 1-2-3 inning, and Braves relievers are dealing. Chavez and Aaron Bummer have combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings since starter AJ Smith-Shawver allowed three early runs. Padres lead 3-0.

The Padres are cruising in Game 1, as you’d expect a team of their caliber to do against a Braves team that had to travel cross-country just last night following Monday’s doubleheader in Atlanta.

Although the Mets, with their victory today in Milwaukee, were seemingly unfazed by their chaotic travel, the Braves sure look like a team that could’ve used another day or two to recuperate. That said, it’s quite possible that even a well-rested Braves lineup would be struggling to muster much offense against Padres right-hander Michael King, who has been downright dominant over six scoreless frames.

Some eyebrows were raised when King got the Game 1 nod over Dylan Cease, but he’s proving tonight that San Diego has more than just one frontline arm.

Add two more strikeouts to Michael King's tally. Marcell Ozuna struck out looking and didn't like the call on a ball that was below the strike zone. It's a strikeout nonetheless.

King added an inning-ending swinging strikeout of Jorge Soler to raise his tally to 10.

The Braves are still looking for their first run. Padres lead, 3-0 after 5.5 innings.

Braves reliever Jesse Chavez retires the side on eight pitches. Padres' lead remains at 3-0 through five innings.

Aaron Bummer's night is done. The Braves reliever was excellent in 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Jesse Chavez takes the mound for the Braves in the bottom of the fifth.

Michael King is dealing. Strikes out Ozzie Albies swinging to end the top of the fifth. That was his third strikeout of Albies and his eighth of the game.

Padres lead, 3-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

Three up and three down for Braves reliever Aaron Bummer in the bottom of the fourth. Padres lead, 3-0.

Bummer's pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings since taking over for starter AJ Smith-Shawver in the second.

Two more strikeouts in a scoreless inning for Padres starter Michael King. Travis d'Arnaud is stranded at second after legging out a two-out double.

Padres lead, 3-0 after 3 1/2 innings. King now has seven strikeouts.

San Diego loves the Padres:

Fernando Tatis walked to lead off the bottom of the third, but an otherwise uneventful half inning. Padres lead, 3-0 after three.

The Braves put two on with two outs on hits by Michael Harris and Marcell Ozuna in the third. But Michael King gets out of trouble again with an inning-ending strikeout.

Braves lead, 3-0 after the top of the third. King's allowed four hits but has mitigated the damage with five strikeouts.

Braves reliever Aaron Bummer takes the mound and induces an inning-ending double play from Luis Arráez. Padres extend their lead to 3-0 through two innings thanks to a sacrifice fly that scored Jake Cronenworth.

A Braves team that played a double-header in Atlanta on Monday will depend on its bullpen the rest of the way.

AJ Smith-Shawver's night is over. The 21-year-old was put in a tough spot as a Game 1 starter in place of scratched Braves ace Chris Sale. The Padres took advantage.

They tagged him for two runs in the first, then added a third with one out and a runner on in the second.

Smith-Shawver leaves having allowed three earned runs on four hits and a home run in 1 1/3 innings pitched.

A clean second inning for Padres starter Michael King. Three up and three down, and the Padres enter the bottom of the second leading, 2-0.

A tough start for 21-year-old Braves starter AJ Smith-Shawver, who's pitching because of an injury to ace Chris Sale. Gives up three hits and two runs in the first inning of his postseason starting debut. Padres lead, 2-0 after one inning.

The Padres are already feasting on Smith-Shawver. Luis Arráez led off the bottom of the first with a single. Then Fernando Tatis brought him home with a deep two-run home run, the first of the 2024 postseason.

That's two earned runs and zero outs early for the 21-year-old Braves starter.

The Braves traveled to San Diego without ace and Triple Crown winner Chris Sale on the roster because of back spasms. So 21-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver gets the start in Game 1 of a playoff series after the Braves were forced to use two starters in Monday's double-header against the Mets.

Smith-Shawver enters the game with seven career MLB starts and just one this season.

The Braves threatened in the top of the first, putting runners on the corners with two outs thanks to singles from Michael Harris and Matt Olson. But Michael King got out of the jam, sitting down Jorge Soler with his third strikeout of the inning.

Michael King takes the mound for the Padres in the top of the first. He finished the season with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings pitched.

We're minutes away from the night cap of a busy day of playoff baseball. The San Diego Padres are hosting the Atlanta Braves, a day after the Braves secured a spot in the postseason at home against the Mets.

That's a big Game 1 win for the Mets, who entered Tuesday with a gassed pitching staff and managed to survive a strong start for the Brewers. Next up is Braves-Padres

After a scoreless Mets inning, it'll be Ryne Stanek to end this game

After five innings of nonstop offense, this game has completely slowed down, to the detriment of the Brewers. They are still down 8-4 as we head to the ninth, with only one more inning to come back

He's had his hiccups, but Severino has delivered some innings the Mets sorely needed after playing a doubleheader Monday. He's likely done at 105 pitches, with 8 hits, 4 ER, 2 BB and 3 K in 6 innings.

The Mets are doing damage against one of the Brewers' biggest strengths. The Milwaukee bullpen led the NL with a 3.11 ERA this season and ranked third with 652 innings pitched, but it can't get an out in this fifth inning.

The Mets are still getting hits. This time, J.D. Martinez hits an RBI single to make it 8-4 Mets. We are on our 20th at-bat with runners in scoring position this game.

We have yet another lead change, this time with Mark Vientos going the other way to score two runs and put the Mets up 6-4.

With runners on first and second, Jose Iglesias hits a grounder to first that Rhys Hoskins makes a diving play on, which results in race to first between Iglesias and reliever Joel Payamps (who came in for Freddy Peralta). Iglesias wins it with a dive, and Tyrone Taylor scores from second.

The youngest player in the majors is making an impact. Starling Marte hits a deep fly ball that should have tied it, but Chourio's glove juuuust gets there and steals the homer.

William Contreras scores Turang with a grounder to short. Francisco Lindor clearly thought about going for the play at home, but took the easy out at first. The inning ends one batter later with a Garrett Mitchell flyout, with the Brewers up 4-3.

Jackson Chourio is 20 years old and has his first playoff RBI. After leadoff double from fellow rookie Sal Frelick and a single from Brice Turang, Chourio legs out an RBI double to tie the game. The Brewers are still threatening with runners on second and third and one out.

And that'll do it for Kansas City. The Royals sneak out the 1-0 win to take the early advantage in their first playoff appearance since their World Series run in 2015.

It's the Royals' first postseason road shutout win in team history.

The Brewers had runners on the corners and one out, but Luis Severino escapes again with a double play off the bat of Rhys Hoskins. Still 3-2 Mets.

Brice Turang delivered another double to left, but Severino gets flyouts from Jackson Chourio and William Contreras to preserve the lead.

Corbin Burnes is being replaced by Keegan Akin in the ninth for the Orioles, though he's on pace to make a bit of history if they can't rally for the win. It's Akin's first career postseason appearance, too.

The Orioles put two on in the eight, thanks to a single from Jordan Westburg, but the Royals escaped without any damage.

They lead 1-0 headed into the ninth.

One Starling Marte sac fly later, the Mets have a 3-2 lead.

It didn't take the Mets long to respond. Jesse Winker, who began the season on the Nationals, notches a third straight hit off Peralta to tie the game. The Mets still have a runner on third and no outs.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Severino hit Rhys Hoskins on the hands to make it 2-0 Brewers. But Sal Frelick then ended the inning with a groundout.

The Brewers get on the board first with three straight hits to open the game against Luis Severino. William Contreras delivered the RBI single.

After six scoreless innings and 80 pitches, Cole Ragans' day is done. Sam Long is in now to start the seventh for the Royals. Ragans officially left the game with cramps in his left calf.

Meanwhile in Mets-Brewers, Freddy Peralta pitches a perfect top of the first, but Brandon Nimmo made him work for it. After Francisco Lindor and Jose Iglesias struck out, Nimmo worked an eight-pitch at-bat that ended with an infield pop-up.