PITTSBURGH — May the fourth be with you, and may the Padres continue their hot streak.
On Star Wars night at PNC Park, Stephen Kolek pitched 5 ⅔ scoreless innings in his first major league start and with the help of four relievers for the San Diego Padres’ eighth shutout of the season, a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday for their fifth straight win and a series sweep.
The 28-year-old right-hander was recalled from Triple-A El Paso before the game. He made 42 relief appearances for the Padres last season as a rookie after being selected from the Seattle Mariners in the Rule 5 draft. Kolek (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who had a 6.38 ERA in five starts for El Paso this season, allowed four hits, struck out four, and walked two on just 84 pitches. He was pulled after giving up a one-out walk in the sixth inning.
The San Diego bullpen has been unstoppable so far this season, with a 1.79 ERA coming into the game. Jeremiah Estrada ended the sixth with two strikeouts before Adrián Morejón worked the seventh, Wandy Peralta the eighth, and Jason Adam the ninth to close the Padres’ major league-leading eighth shutout.
In the first, Xander Bogaerts followed a two-out double by Manny Machado, who had three hits, with a single that made its way to left field off the glove of third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.
Elias Diaz, who had two hits, led off the second with a solo homer to left – his third of the season – off a 90-mph fastball from Andrew Heaney (2-3, 3.18 ERA). Later in the inning with two outs and runners on the corners, Bogaerts delivered another two-out knock when he roped a double to left to score Brandon Lockridge and Luis Arraez, who also finished with two hits.
Pittsburgh has dropped to 12-23 on the season and lost their ninth straight to the Padres, dating back to last season. The Padres are now 8-7 away from Petco Park and 22-11 overall.
San Diego will open a three-game series against the New York Yankees in New York with right-hander Nick Pivetta (5-1, 1.78 ERA) facing left-hander Carlos Rodon (4-3, 3.43 ERA) on Monday night at 4:05 p.m.PT,