The San Diego Padres had a tough homestand, but Nick Pivetta and Ramon Laureano helped end it on a positive note.
The San Diego Padres got a much-needed win to close out their first homestand of the season, downing the Giants, 7-1, as Nick Pivetta posted a strong pitching performance and the offense finally broke out late in the game.
This was a tight one early, though, as the Padres slowly built a 3-0 lead by taking advantage of a pair of Giants errors to score their first two runs. But the Giants countered with a run-scoring single by outfielder Harrison Bader, which made it a bit of a nail biter.
That was when outfielder Ramon Laureano took control once again. Laureano hit his second home run of the season following a double by Manny Machado, and that opened up the floodgates for the Padres as they took advantage of some sketchy pitching by Giants reliever Jose Butto, who walked four to go with three hits before leaving the game with an unspecified injury.
Pivetta was the hero early on as he bounced back from his bad Opening Day outing to give the Padres five strong innings of shutout, one-hit ball that also featured eight strikeouts. Pivetta isn’t built up to the point where he can give the Padres length, but they desperately needed a starter to come through so they could use their bullpen effectively.
Closer Mason Miller was also a pitching hero as he stepped into the breach for a four-out save. He shut down the Giants on just three pitches when he was brought in early for the last out of the eighth, and Miller cruised through the ninth with the cushion of a big lead. Miller also showcased his much-improved slider, which has become a weapon that’s nearly as formidable as his 100+ mph velocity.
Laureano carried the load offensively, but he had company in this one for a change. Machado and first baseman Gavin Sheets also had a pair of hits as the lineup finally began to hit, and the Padres took advantage of some sloppy baseball by the Giants.
The win should make for a happy cross-country flight as the Padres begin their first road trip of the season against the Boston Red Sox on Friday. The Pads will play a three-game set against the Red Sox, then another three-gamer that also includes a dandy of a pitching matchup next Tuesday when Pivetta is scheduled to pitch against Pirates starter Paul Skenes. The back of the rotation is still a problem, but perhaps going on the road will give the Padres offense more chances to break out.