Dylan Cease was dominant for the San Diego Padres on Monday night, allowing just one hit and one run in seven innings and striking out eight in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in Denver.

Michael King, who will take the mound Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ four-game series at Coors Field, might have been even better the last time he started.

Although he absorbed a 1-0 loss Wednesday in Milwaukee, King (2-1, 3.33 ERA) took a no-hitter two outs into the seventh before the Brewers’ Willy Adames spoiled it with a single to right field. King lasted a career-high 7 2/3 innings, permitting only two hits and a run with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

“I felt like I had a steady mix and was able to command all my pitches,” the right-hander said. “Mechanically, I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was just going out there and executing.”

Since walking seven in four innings on March 31 against the San Francisco Giants, King has displayed much better command. He has issued just five walks over 19 2/3 innings in his past three starts, demonstrating the stuff San Diego liked when it asked for him as part of the New York Yankees’ five-player package in exchange for Juan Soto.

King will attempt to duplicate Wednesday’s excellent performance without one of the Padres’ big bats in the lineup. Designated hitter Manny Machado went on the paternity list before Monday night’s game with his wife, Yainee, about to give birth to their first child. Machado might not return until Thursday’s series finale.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said he expects Machado to miss the three days allowed on the paternity list.

Meanwhile, Colorado continues its season-long search for offense and success. The team hasn’t hit as it normally does, being held to three runs or less in 16 of 23 games, including the past four. In fact, the Rockies managed just five runs in those four games, all at home.

The Rockies’ 5-18 start is their worst in club history, and they are the first team to be losing at any time in its first 23 games since the 1957 Washington Senators trailed in each of their first 32 games, according to OptaSTATS. What’s more, they’ve yet to notch consecutive wins.

“At some point, it’s got to turn where we get the bat to the ball and get some big hits,” manager Bud Black said. “There’s no secret. We’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to (bunch) hits together. and we’ve got to do it as a group.”

Colorado has wasted some decent starts early, although right-hander Ryan Feltner’s 7-6 loss in Philadelphia last Wednesday night wasn’t one of them. He was charged with six runs off nine hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings, although he did strike out eight.

Feltner (1-2, 5.06 ERA) will start Tuesday and has no record in four career starts against San Diego but has pitched solid ball, logging a 2.75 ERA over 19 2/3 innings. It’s his best career ERA against a team he’s faced more than once.

King has pitched against Colorado only once, throwing one scoreless inning.

–Field Level Media