Nick Pivetta returns to Philadelphia as a visitor for first time, allows one run in six innings; Dylan Cease allows four runs in his six innings
It is just accompanied by a more pronounced sigh of relief with every week that passes without Yu Darvish and Michael King and with almost every start Dylan Cease makes. The No.1 starter the Padres didn’t know they had and the No.
1 starter they thought they had pitched in succession on Wednesday, providing pretty much a side-by-side comparison of what has saved them and what might contribute to their downfall. Pivetta allowed one run in six innings in the Padres’ 6-4 victory in the first game of a doubleheader against the Phillies. Cease followed not with his worst start of the season but certainly not with what the Padres need, allowing four runs over six innings in what became a 5-1 loss. After Pivetta moved into a tie for the National League lead in wins by spreading around seven hits and walking none, the Padres had a chance to win a series and finish their six-game road trip even. Instead, they went 1-2 in Philadelphia after doing so in Cincinnati over the weekend. The Padres scored half their runs in the afternoon victory on bases-loaded walks and half on Manny Machado’s bases-loaded double. “If we do that, this team is going to be virtually unstoppable,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said after his team walked a season-high nine times in that first game. “It really is. We were very stingy. Weren’t going to give them anything that wasn’t on the plate. Amazing job.” The Padres didn’t get a chance to be that judicious against left-hander Cristopher Sánchez in the nightcap.Sánchez retired all nine batters he faced in the first three innings, seven of them on groundballs and continued to keep the Padres on the ground in the fourth inning. But that is when the Padres broke through for a 1-0 lead. Fernando Tatis Jr. began the inning with another grounder, but it was slow and down the third base line, allowing him time to beat out the throw to first. Before Sánchez even threw a pitch to Jackson Merrill, Tatis took off for second base. It was a little early, and Sánchez threw behind Tatis to first baseman Otto Kemp, who might have gotten Tatis at second if his throw was not right over the sliding Tatis, well to the left of shortstop Trea Turner. The ball got by Turner and bounced into center field as Tatis ran to third. Merrill then sent a grounder past diving second baseman Bryson Stott to bring in Tatis before Manny Machado grounded into a double play and Luis Arraez grounded out to third.Cease got through three scoreless innings before Max Kepler’s two-run homer in the fourth put the Phillies on top. A Brandon Marsh homer leading off the fifth and another run on two singles in that inning put the Phillies up 4-1. They scored once in the seventh against Yuki Matsui and Eduarniel Nuñez, who allowed an inherited runner to score in his major league debut. It was a typical start for him in 2025, not awful but not what is expected and needed. The Padres fell to 9-9 in his starts. They won 20 of his 33 starts in 2024, as he finished with a 3.47 ERA and in the top five in the NL in innings, strikeouts and batting average allowed. The Padres anticipated he would be among the anchors of the starting rotation along with Darvish and King. Instead, he has struggled to command his fastball and keep the consistent shape on his slider, which has in past seasons been among the toughest pitches to hit in the major leagues. Meanwhile, Darvish has been sidelined since the middle of spring training with elbow discomfort and King has not pitched since mid-May due to a nerve issue near his shoulder. Darvish is expected to return in the coming weeks, but King just began a throwing progression last week and while he insists he will pitch in 2025, there is no guarantee of that. Pivetta, signed to a four-year, $55 million contract with the idea he would provide depth in the rotation and be a solid No.3 or 4 starter, turned in his eighth start in which he went at least six innings and allowed no more than one run. That is tied with the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler and Pirates’ Paul Skenes for most in the major leagues.Sharp HealthCare gives layoff notices to 315 workers, cuts executive payHow to enjoy America’s No. 1 ice cream for just $1State attorney general sues Carlsbad skilled nursing firm for low staffing levelsCalifornia just overhauled its main environmental law. Here’s what it means for San Diego
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