Pivetta faltered early against the reigning Cy Young winner, as the San Diego Padres struggled to spark their offense in the season opener.
The San Diego Padres first game of the 2026 season and the Craig Stammen era did not go as planned.
Now, it didn't help that the Padres had to face Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers ace who is fresh off an American League Cy Young victory.
Before the game, everyone was wondering where Fernando Tatis Jr. would hit after Stammen used him in different spots during spring training, but Stammen had Tatis in his usual leadoff spot.
Unfortunately, the Padres lost to the Tigers, 8-2, at Petco Park on a beautiful Thursday afternoon.
Nick Pivetta got the start, but he was shelled early. He gave up four runs in the top of the first, with the first run scoring via a bases-loaded walk. Then, highly-touted Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle hit a 2-RBI double to right field for his first-career MLB hit, and Dillon Dingler followed suit with an RBI single.
Parker Meadows made the score 6-0 with a two-run double in the top of the third, and Pivetta's day ended with a disappointing stat line of 3 IP, 7 hits, 6 ER, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts.
Ron Marinaccio came in and threw two innings of relief, giving up two runs on three hits before Bradgley Rodriguez entered the game.
The young Padres reliever was a bright spot, as he threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and some impressive pitches.
Xander Bogaerts, who was second in the lineup, hit an RBI double that scored Tatis for the first Padres run of the season.
Ramon Laureano then hit a solo home run in the seventh inning.
As far as Skubal, he finished with six innings and zero earned runs (1 unearned) on three hits with six strikeouts as he picked up right where he left off.
The Padres made things interesting when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but Nick Castellanos flied to center in his first at-bat as a Padre.
David Morgon threw a scoreless inning, and then Wandy Peralta came on for the ninth inning, with both pitchers giving up one hit apiece.
The Padres will try and forget about this one, and despite a sell-out crowd at Petco Park, it was a frustrating Opening Day.
The Padres and Tigers are right back at it on Friday night. Framber Valdez takes the mound in his Detroit debut, and Michael King steps on the rubber for the Padres.