Nick Pivetta bounces back and pitches Padres past Giants

Padres avoid series sweep with 7-1 win over Giants

Apr. 2, 2026 at 4:49am

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Nick Pivetta pitched five shutout innings, allowing only one hit, as the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-1 on Wednesday. Ramon Laureano hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to provide insurance for the Padres, who used their top three relievers to close out the game.

Why it matters

The win helps the Padres avoid a series sweep against their NL West rivals, the Giants. Pivetta's strong bounce-back performance after a rough Opening Day outing is also an encouraging sign for the Padres' pitching rotation.

The details

Pivetta (1-1) struck out eight and walked two in his five shutout innings. Former teammate Luis Arraez had the Giants' lone hit off Pivetta with a leadoff single in the second. The Padres' bullpen of Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, and Mason Miller finished the game. Laureano's two-run homer in the eighth inning broke the game open for San Diego, who added two more runs in the frame.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, April 2, 2026.
  • Pivetta was bouncing back from a rough Opening Day loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

The players

Nick Pivetta

The Padres starting pitcher who pitched five shutout innings, allowing only one hit.

Ramon Laureano

The Padres outfielder who hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to provide insurance for San Diego.

Luis Arraez

The Giants infielder who had the team's lone hit off Pivetta with a leadoff single in the second inning.

Manny Machado

The Padres infielder who hit a leadoff double in the eighth inning, setting up Laureano's two-run homer.

Adrian Houser

The Giants starting pitcher who took the loss, allowing three runs (one earned) in 5.1 innings of work.

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What they’re saying

“Bouncing back from a frightful outing in an 8-2 Opening Day loss to Detroit on Thursday, Pivetta (1-1) fanned eight and walked two.”

— Field Level Media

The takeaway

Pivetta's strong bounce-back performance and the Padres' late-inning offensive outburst helped them avoid a series sweep against their division rivals. This win could provide momentum for San Diego as they look to build on their early-season success.