Stephen Kolek shines in first MLB start, leads Padres to sweep of Pirates

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Stephen Kolek has been on a long and winding road to the major leagues — but on Sunday afternoon, he found himself in a role he hadn’t filled at the big league level before: starting pitcher.

After 42 relief appearances in the majors, Kolek was thrust into the San Diego Padres’ rotation amid a string of injuries to their usual starters. The 28-year-old right-hander seized the moment, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, capping off a three-game sweep and extending the Padres’ win streak to five games.

“It felt like my debut all over again,” Kolek said. “New city, different role, facing a team I’ve never pitched against. I was just trying to soak it all in and have fun. Everything went good today, so it’s a great day.”

Kolek’s afternoon began with a crisp, nine-pitch first inning, punctuated by a strikeout of Oneil Cruz looking. It was his only perfect frame, but his ability to navigate traffic and escape trouble became the story of his outing.

In the second inning, after allowing back-to-back singles, Kolek struck out Adam Frazier and caught Ke’Bryan Hayes leaning at second base to snuff out a budding threat. In the third, a runner reached scoring position again, but Kolek responded by striking out Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in succession. He induced a double play to end the fourth and exited in the sixth after a one-out walk — his 84th pitch of the day.

“He was good. Yeah, he was really good,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. “Threw strikes, had good life on the ball, and got some quick outs. He did a really, really good job out there.”

The early support from San Diego’s bats certainly helped settle any nerves. Xander Bogaerts drove in three runs over the first two innings, giving Kolek a 4-0 cushion before he even threw a pitch in the third. But Kolek insisted the score didn’t alter his approach.

“You can’t let that change your mindset,” Kolek said. “You’ve still got to act like it’s 0-0 and keep attacking.”

For Kolek, the outing marked a potential turning point in a career that has required patience and perseverance. A former 11th-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2018 out of Texas A&M, Kolek spent six seasons grinding through the minors, posting a 4.62 ERA over 149 games and bouncing between starter and reliever roles.

He was selected by the Padres in the Rule 5 Draft and made 42 appearances out of the bullpen earlier this year before being sidelined in late July with right forearm tendinitis. At the time of his injury, Kolek was tied for third-most appearances in the San Diego bullpen. With the team now reshuffling its rotation, Kolek has been tabbed to take on a starting role moving forward — a transition that began during his time at Triple-A El Paso.

There, despite a 6.38 ERA over five starts, Kolek flashed swing-and-miss potential with a 20:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His four-pitch mix — sinker, slider, four-seam fastball, and changeup — was on full display Sunday, and his sharp Spring Training performance (2.60 ERA over five games) had already hinted that he could thrive in a larger role.

“It’s a whole different challenge starting games in this league,” Kolek admitted. “Once guys have seen you once, the pressure builds. It’s harder to navigate a lineup multiple times. But today was exciting. I’m grateful for the opportunity — and I can’t wait to do it again.”

With their rotation in flux and momentum on their side, the Padres may have just discovered an unexpected weapon in Kolek — one whose first career start may not be his last.