With New Number, Michael King Plays Key Role in Yankees' Opening Day Victory
NEW YORK — As Michael King jogged in from the bullpen on Friday afternoon, taking the mound to pitch the 10th inning in relief, the right-hander checked two items off his baseball bucket list.
Embarking on his third full season in the big leagues, Friday was King's first Opening Day with a sellout crowd, finally feeling some normalcy after attendance was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic these last few years.
It was also his first appearance with the No. 34 plastered the back of his jersey.
"Seven has always been my number, but the baseball rule—obviously it's been broken a couple of times—is no single digits for pitchers," King said after earning the win in a 6-5 victory over the Red Sox. "Once I became a strictly a pitcher, it was three plus four is seven."
King wore No. 34 at Boston College, eventually transitioning to No. 73 when he first debuted in a Yankees uniform back in 2019.
The 26-year-old's number is also significant to his family.
"I ended up finding out that my grandfather's birthday is March 4, 1934," King said. "So three four, three four. He just passed away in 2020. So, I was begging for all of '21 and finally got it for this year."
Number aside, King played a significant role in New York's Opening Day victory, pitching the 10th and 11th innings. The right-hander permitted a go-ahead single to score off the bat of shortstop Xander Bogaerts in his first inning of work, but with an automatic runner starting on second base in extra frames, King wasn't charged with an earned run.
A pinch-hit sacrifice fly from Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres tied the game in the bottom of the inning, allowing King to go back out for another three outs.
"Keep that runner at second, especially for the first batter and then just limit damage," King said, walking through his mindset heading back out for the 11th. "Bogaerts was able to flip me into left field for a single, felt like it was a good pitch but that happens with good hitters. I went out there for the 11th and thought the same thing. I need strikeouts, I need ground balls to third, whatever and I was able to do it."
King punched out left fielder Alex Verdugo and second baseman Trevor Story before getting first baseman Bobby Dalbec to ground out to short, ending the threat while stranding the go-ahead run on second. Moments later, Josh Donaldson delivered the decisive blow for the Bombers: a walk-off single to plate Isiah Kiner-Falefa and clinch a 1-0 start to the regular season.
Asked about his "Kluberball," a pitch he picked up from two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber during his time with the Yankees last year, King smiled. That's a pitch he leaned on heavily during Friday's and an offering he will continue to twirl all season long.
"My first strikeout to Kiké [Hernández] was three straight Kluberballs. And yeah, it's definitely become a weapon for me," King explained. "I think it definitely helps my sinker out. It's not like I'm a one-pitch pitcher with the sinker. Got a couple strikeouts on four-seams that I was happy with so I felt like I had definitely those three pitches working."
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- Yankees' Josh Donaldson Sinks Sox With Walk-Off on Opening Day
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