Padres sweep Braves behind Pivetta's gem in debut

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Nick Pivetta threw seven innings of one-hit ball in a brilliant debut with the Padres and Manny Machado returned to the lineup and hit an RBI double as San Diego beat the Atlanta Braves 5-0 on Sunday night to sweep a season-opening, four-game series.

The Braves were shut out a second straight game and are 0-4 for the first time since 2021. The Braves haven’t been swept in a season-opening, four-game series since 1980 at Cincinnati, and in a four-game series in San Diego since 1979.

The Braves have lost six straight games at Petco Park, including last season’s two-game sweep in the wild-card round.

Pivetta (1-0), who signed a four-year contract in February, faced the minimum 21 batters. He allowed a a leadoff single in the third to Orlando Arcia, who was forced out at second. Pivetta struck out four and walked none.

The Braves sent the minimum 27 batters to the plate. Marcell Ozuna drew Atlanta’s only walk, off Jason Adam 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 right field wall with one out in the first on 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.

Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill and Brandon Lockridge each hit an RBI double 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.

KEY MOMENT

Tatis checked his swing on a 2-0, 97-mph fastball and ended up with a leadoff double to right.

KEY STAT

Reigning NL batting champ Arraez of the Padres is 0 for 13 to open the season.

UP NEXT

Braves RHP Grant Holmes is scheduled to start Monday night at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Padres RHP Luis Ortiz is set to go Monday night at home against Cleveland.