SAN DIEGO — This is what it’s supposed to look like.
The Padres snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over the Giants on Tuesday night at Petco Park. If they’re going to make a deep run into October this year, they’re probably going to win quite a few games that look like this one.
Six outstanding innings from starting pitcher Nick Pivetta. Lockdown relief work from the back end of their bullpen. Tack-on runs from their newly lengthened lineup (even with two regulars sidelined due to injury).
“That’s our game,” said Manny Machado, who broke out of a mini-slump with two hits. “That’s our best baseball.”
With the win, the Padres remained two games back of Los Angeles in the National League West race, after the Dodgers’ victory in Colorado on Tuesday night.
Pivetta fell behind instantly, allowing a leadoff home run to Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee. But he was outstanding after that. The right-hander — who has become the Padres’ stopper this season — worked six innings without allowing another run and struck out 10, while setting a season high with 109 pitches.
The last of those pitches was a fastball that caught Christian Koss looking. Pivetta flexed and stalked off the mound as he let loose a scream, then another scream. Petco Park responded with a rousing ovation.
It was just the effort the Padres needed. They hadn’t won since Pivetta’s last start — also a dominant outing in which he allowed one run against the Giants last Wednesday. In the interim, San Diego was swept at Dodger Stadium, then fell a run short against the Giants in Monday’s series opener.
Lee’s solo homer marked the fourth straight game in which the Padres had allowed the opposing leadoff man to score. But on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, they proceeded to allow three, four and four first-inning runs, respectively.
Pivetta held the Giants in check. His fastball was pinpoint, and his sweeper got six whiffs on 14 swings. He didn’t quite showcase the putaway stuff that he has at times this season — hence the high pitch count. But after Lee’s home run, he allowed almost no hard contact.
“He just pitched like Nick pitches, almost regardless,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “He threw a lot of quality strikes. I loved the fact that we get dinged right off the bat … nobody hung their head, especially Nick — the guy on the mound that has the ball. You look up, and that’s the only run he gave up.”
The San Diego offense made sure Pivetta’s effort held up. Machado and Ryan O’Hearn had two hits apiece. Fernando Tatis Jr. reached base three times (four if you count Koss’ first-inning error at shortstop) and wreaked havoc on the bases.
It was a show of strength from a Padres lineup that was without three regulars. Jackson Merrill is still battling a balky left ankle and hasn’t played since Sunday. Jake Cronenworth could return on Wednesday. But he had the day off after he was hit by a pitch in the right elbow on Monday night. Starting catcher Freddy Fermin, meanwhile, had the night off.
“It just speaks to the depth of the offense that we have,” said O’Hearn. “There’s 13 guys that can impact the game. Everybody’s ready to go at any point. It’s fun to be a part of a team like that. I’ve seen a lot of teams where maybe the first five hitters are really good, and then it falls off. But that’s definitely not the story here. Fun to be a part of it.”
Jose Iglesias, playing for Cronenworth, gave San Diego its first lead with an RBI single in the fourth inning on an 0-2 pitch from Giants starter Kai-Wei Teng. Tatis plated another run in the inning with a bases-loaded walk. The Padres added tack-on runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
And yet, even though they led by four runs, they could still use their trio of All-Star relievers — Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez — because they’ve built a super-bullpen. With Mason Miller and Jeremiah Estrada in reserve, there will be plenty of fresh arms for the rest of the series. The All-Star trio pitched a scoreless inning apiece, and just like that, the Padres’ losing streak was over.
“This is the blueprint for how it looks,” Shildt said. “This is how we play. … It’s absolutely how we win a lot of games.”
