“Huge fan of my new teammate" - Michael King in awe of Luis Arraez after Padres hero's impactful home debut

Players usually find it tough to find their feet in a new ballpark following a midseason trade, but that is not the case for Luis Arraez. The San Diego Padres newcomer hit the ground running instantly in his Petco Park debut on Friday night, smashing a walk-off hit to get one over rivals Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Padres-Dodgers rivalry has witnessed some close finishes this season and their third series of the year saw another dramatic finish. With the game tied in the ninth inning, extra innings loomed large only for Arraez to send the Padres fans delirious with his walk-off hit against Michael Grove, leading to a 2-1 win.

Padres starting pitcher Michael King echoed every fan's sentiment at Petco Park after the game. According to MLB.com, he said:

“Huge fan of my new teammate.”

The two-time batting champion is in line for a third title with a different team, and his postgame reaction underlines his mindset in crucial junctures of the game.

“I don’t try to do too much,” Arraez said (via MLB.com). “I just be me there. When I see the hole through the middle, I just said, ‘OK, if he throws me that pitch, middle-middle, I just want to hit it through the middle.’”

The Padres announced the trade of Arraez from the Miami Marlins on May 4, along with reportedly receiving $7.9 million in cash considerations. This deal saw four San Diego players go the other way. The left-handed hitter's addition was supposed to add another dimension to the Padres lineup, and as it turned out on Friday, it indeed did.

Michael King outduels Tyler Glasnow after a grueling battle

While Arraez stole the spotlight with his decisive hit, Michael King was engrossed in a pitching duel with Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow, with neither pitcher allowing an inch to the hitters. King went seven innings deep, allowing just two hits and striking out 11 batters.

“I thought it was almost a race to the bullpen,” King added (via MLB.com). “Because you didn’t know what you were going to get out of their bullpen, and Glasnow was dominating.”

As the Padres starter mentioned, the game was eventually won after the Dodgers turned to their bullpen to relieve their starter. Meanwhile, Glasnow continued his dominant start to the season, grinding out seven innings, allowing just one run on one hit with 10 strikeouts.

The pitching played as much a role as Arraez's valiance. This was the only modern-era MLB game that featured starters from both teams going seven innings long, with 10+ strikeouts and conceding less than two hits.

With two games remaining in the series and the Dodgers needing to bounce back from the narrow loss in the series opener, fans can expect more fireworks in the second game on Saturday night.