Padres, Brewers Face 89% NLDS Swing in Game 2 as King Meets Henderson

Q: Can a 24-year-old rookie outduel San Diego's proven postseason ace to push the Padres toward elimination?

Yes — Logan Henderson has a real chance to do it, even if Michael King is still the safer bet on paper. King brings the stronger October résumé. He is 3-0 with a 2.05 career postseason ERA, and he just carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning in the Wild Card Series. He also finished the regular season in strong form, with a 3.21 ERA overall and a dominant stretch late in the year. For San Diego, this is exactly why he is the Game 2 starter. But Henderson is not a typical rookie. The 24-year-old posted a 2.47 ERA in 98 1/3 innings, and Milwaukee won 14 of his 18 starts. He has not allowed more than three runs in any of his first 23 career starts, a remarkable consistency mark. He also faced the Padres in August and gave Milwaukee 6 1/3 innings with three runs allowed and six strikeouts, showing he can navigate this lineup. The bigger question may be less about Henderson beating King outright and more about whether he can keep the game even long enough for Milwaukee’s bullpen and defense to take over. That formula worked in Game 1, when the Brewers got timely home runs from Jackson Chourio and William Contreras and then pieced together five shutout relief innings. So the answer is yes, especially at home and with Milwaukee’s bullpen behind him. But if Henderson does outduel King, it will likely look like a controlled, five-to-six inning start in a tight, low-scoring game rather than a dominant head-to-head takeover.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Oct 4

Game 2 starts at 3 p.m. CT in Milwaukee with San Diego trying to avoid a 2-0 hole and Milwaukee chasing the commanding edge that has decided 83 of 93 best-of-five series.
Michael King gives the Padres their best chance after carrying a no-hitter into the seventh in the Wild Card round; he owns a 2.05 career postseason ERA.
Logan Henderson, 24, counters for Milwaukee after a steady rise in which he has never allowed more than three runs in 23 career starts, though he is making his October debut.
Bullpen depth could shape the late innings again after the Brewers won Game 1, 3-2, with two homers and a multi-inning save from Trevor Megill before the series shifts to Petco Park for Games 3 and 4.