Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr. make feelings clear on converted starter's latest outing vs Marlins

Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. were left impressed with relief pitcher turned starter Stephen Kolek. After he ran into early trouble against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, Kolek turned in a gutsy performance that drew strong praise from his teammates.

After surrendering six runs in the first inning, Kolek settled in and pitched 5.1 innings without allowing additional runs. On the other hand, the Padres offense supported him, tying the game in the fourth inning and taking a lead in the fifth. The team eventually won the game 8-6.

With that, he became the first major league pitcher since 1999 to give up six earned runs in the first inning and still earn a win.

After the game, Merrill appreciated Kolek's mental focus despite a rough start.

“Beyond proud of him. Beyond proud of him,” Merrill said postgame. “I mean, six runs in the first is tough. You immediately put your head down and, like, you know, just kind of eat it, wear it, be like, ‘Ah, I didn’t do good.’

"He went out there, put his balls on the line, you know, and he dominated the rest of the game. So I appreciate him doing what he could and getting us to that position so we could just score runs.”

Padres outfielder Tatis Jr. also echoed similar sentiments.

“I love it,” Tatis Jr. said. “I mean, you know, that can tell what type of guy and pitcher he really is. You saw a lot of good hits, but ground balls all over the field in that first inning. It was rough, but he settled back in and gave a good six innings—knowing especially how the bullpen has felt last game—and it was huge for us.”

Stephen Kolek impresses in his first season as starter

The Padres asked Stephen Kolek to convert into a starting pitcher and he has addressed the call well.

Kolek spent the 2024 season as a reliever, posting a 5.21 ERA over 42 appearances before an injury sidelined him.

In his 2025 season debut on May 4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kolek pitched 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out four batters in the win.

He followed this performance with a historic complete-game shutout against the Colorado Rockies on May 10, leading the Padres to a 21-0 victory. It was the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

After five starts, Kolek has pitched 30.2 innings, in which he has gone 3-1, holding an ERA of 4.11.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman