SAN DIEGO -- For at least one weekend, the San Diego Padres look like one of the best teams in baseball.
Nick Pivetta was brilliant in his San Diego debut, pitching seven shutout innings of one-hit ball, as the Padres blanked the Atlanta Braves 5-0, their first four-game sweep since June 13, 2022, at Wrigley Field.
Manny Machado, who exited the game on Saturday with what the team said was right calf tightness, doubled in the first run of the game in the first inning and that's all Pivetta and the Padres stalwart bullpen needed.
Mama, there goes that man. pic.twitter.com/jzJeA1xrYO
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 30, 2025
Manager Mike Shildt praised Pivetta's efficiency and ability to harness his aggression.
"I thought he was fantastic," said Shildt. "Welcome to San Diego, Nick Pivetta, right? Dominated counts, life on his heater, really really good curveball, sweeper was good, two-seamer, nine ground balls, four punch-outs, ground balls early. Like I said, controlled counts, got some early out, really masterful game for Nick in his debut as a Padre. He clearly is looking to go get it but I loved he was able to harness and control it and make his pitches and use it and channel it the right way."
Pivetta, who faced the minimum number of Braves hitters in his seven innings, was quick to praise his new batterymate Elías Díaz.
"Me and Diaz really clicked there. We were commanding the strike zone, doing the right things, trying to play the game of baseball and everything worked out. I was in the strike zone. I think my one-one counts were pretty good. They were swinging the bat quite often and luckily they were hitting on the ground or hitting it in the air and I was able to move onto the next guy."
Notes:
The Padres four-game sweep of the Braves was only the third time they've swept their first series of the season, the previous coming in 1984 and 1969...Three-time batting champion Luís Arraéz is 0-for-13 to start the season...Jackson Merrill extended his hit-streak to four games with a RBI double in the seventh inning...Kyle Hart makes his Padres debut on Monday night vs the Cleveland Guardians... Pivetta blanked the Braves through seven innings of one-hit ball in his last start against them on June 5th, 2024, then with the Boston Red Sox...Padres bullpen now riding a 15-game scoreless streak