SAN DIEGO — Nick Pivetta threw seven innings of one-hit ball in a brilliant debut with the San Diego Padres, and Manny Machado returned to the lineup and hit an RBI double in Sunday night’s 5-0 win against the Atlanta Braves to sweep a four-game series to open the 2025 regular season.
The Padres are 4-0 for the first time since 1998, the last time they reached the World Series. The Braves were shut out a second straight game and are 0-4 for the first time since 2021 — the last time they won the World Series. The Braves hadn’t been swept in a four-game series to open a season since 1980 against the host Cincinnati Reds, and they hadn’t been swept in a four-game series in San Diego since 1979.
The Braves have lost six straight games at Petco Park overall, including the Padres’ two-game sweep in the wild-card round of last year’s playoffs. Their opening West Coast swing continues Monday night with the start of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the World Series last year and have started this season 5-0.
The 32-year-old Pivetta (1-0), who signed a four-year contract in February after playing his first four MLB seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and his past five for the Boston Red Sox, faced the minimum 21 batters. He allowed a a leadoff single in the third inning to Orlando Arcia, who was forced out at second. Pivetta struck out four batters and walked none.
The Braves sent the minimum 27 batters to the plate. Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna drew Atlanta’s only walk, with that free pass coming against Jason Adam while leading off the eighth. Adam and Jeremiah Estrada each threw one hitless inning.
Machado left Saturday night’s game after the fourth inning with a cramp in his right calf that flared up during an at-bat. He doubled to the base of the wall in right field with one out in the bottom of the first inning Sunday night to bring in Fernando Tatis Jr., who hit a leadoff double on a checked swing against AJ Smith-Shawver and advanced on Luis Arraez’s groundout.
The Padres’ strong start comes despite Arraez, the reigning National League batting champion, being 0-for-13 so far.
Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill and Brandon Lockridge each hit an RBI double Sunday, and Tatis singled in a run before getting thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
Smith-Shawver allowed two runs and six hits in four innings.
Atlanta right-hander Grant Holmes is scheduled to start Monday night against the Dodgers, who will counter with right-hander Tyler Glasnow.
Holmes will be making his first start of the regular season, although he worked one inning in relief during Thursday’s opener in San Diego, striking out two batters in the nine-pitch outing.
Glasnow, traded by the Tampa Bay Rays in December, will be making his Dodgers debut.