SAN DIEGO- Starter Nick Pivetta dominated the Nationals and led the Padres to a 1-0 victory in front of a sold out crowd on Tuesday afternoon.
Pivetta (8-2, 3.36 ERA) was untouchable, allowing zero earned runs, three hits and striking out ten in seven innings pitched. Pivetta was getting ahead and elevating with his four-seam fastball to set up his breaking ball and getting Nationals hitters to chase.
“I thought he was fantastic,” said manager Mike Shildt. “He was dominating the counts, fastball had a lot of life to it. Sweeper was good, he was lights out.”
After an unexpected bullpen day following Ryan Bergert’s injury on Tuesday, the Friars needed Pivetta to shove and go deep.
“Everybody knows how dynamite and consistent they’ve (the bullpen) been,” Pivetta said. “Just being able to help the team out the best I can is just what I’m trying to do.”
Pivetta had shortstop CJ Abrams and designated hitter James Wood lost during today’s outing. The ghosts of Padres past couldn’t touch the fastball-curveball combo and went 0-for-6 with five strikeouts against Pivetta.
“It’s just the overall command of my pitches, the willingness to work down in the zone and up in the zone,” Pivetta said. “I commanded my breaking ball really well.”
Pivetta was locked in a pitching duel with Washington starter MacKenzie Gore. The former Padre draft pick had his old team off balance today, changing speeds early and keeping the Friars’ offense uncomfortable.
Gore (3-8, 3.09 ERA) allowed one earned run and five hits, with six strikeouts in six innings pitched.
San Diego got to him in the second after a two-out walk from second baseman Tyler Wade followed up by an infield hit from catcher Elias Diaz. First baseman Luis Arraez came through, slapping a four-seam through the 5-6 hole to score Wade.
Arraez (.288 BA, .714 OPS) was bumped to leadoff following some lineup changes from Shildt and looked comfortable in the one spot. Arraez was a terror for Gore and the Nationals, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
“I like him leading off, I like him hitting four, hitting two for a good portion of the season,” said Shildt. “It made sense, let’s get him back in a spot he’s been productive in.”
The one run in the second inning was enough for Pivetta and the pitching staff. Relievers Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon shut the door on Washington after Pivetta’s exit for a 1-0 victory.
Morejon earned his second save as closer Robert Suarez served the first of his reduced two-game suspension after appeal stemming from hitting Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter Shohei Ohtani with a pitch on June 19.
San Diego gets a day off on Wednesday and travels to Cincinnati to face the Reds on Friday, at 4:10 p.m. Dylan Cease (3-6, 4.43 ERA) is scheduled to get the start against Nick Martinez (4-8, 4.40 ERA).