Pirates defeat Padres 7-1 in first battle vs. Paul Skenes
Credit: CBS Sports
The San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates squared off on a chilly Pittsburgh spring evening. The Friars were finally set to face off against the ever-so-powerful Paul Skenes.
On the mound for San Diego was ace Nick Pivetta, the top of Craig Stammen’s rotation. The bout started off predictably with both teams being held scoreless through the first four innings.
The teams headed into the fifth inning knotted up at zero, with both starters matching each other pitch for pitch in a classic early-season duel at PNC. San Diego once again had a quiet top of the inning, managing just another scoreless frame against the electric stuff of Paul Skenes.
In fact, throughout the first five innings, Skenes was quietly putting together a no-hitter, carving through the Padres’ potent lineup with a mix of triple-digit heat and devastating secondary offerings while allowing only a couple of walks.
As the Pirates came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth, it appeared that Nick Pivetta was beginning to unfold just a bit under the lights. The veteran right-hander, who worked efficiently earlier while racking up strikeouts, started to show some signs of labor as the inning progressed. Singles by Spencer Horwitz and rookie sensation Konnor Griffin quickly put runners in scoring position with nobody out.
A well-struck double to left field by Oneil Cruz then finally drove in two runs, plating both Horwitz and Griffin (with Griffin scoring on a subsequent fielding error by the catcher that also allowed Cruz to reach third safely). Cruz’s at-bat was a classic example of a pivotal moment that can swing the momentum in a tight pitchers’ duel, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead while highlighting just how quickly things can change when a starter’s rhythm starts to wobble.
San Diego finally began to show life in the top of the sixth after a walk to Jake Cronenworth and a single by Fernando Tatis Jr., breaking up the no-hitter; however, Jackson Merrill disrupted the Friars’ momentum, hitting into a double play to end the inning.
The bottom of the sixth was another exciting one for the Pirates’ offense. After ending Nick Pivetta’s day in the fifth, young reliever Bradgley Rodriguez came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth. Back-to-back singles by former Padre Ryan O’Hearn and the speedy Nick Yorke put runners in scoring position with just one out, threatening to break the game open for the Pirates. Yet, once again, the momentum was swiftly killed by a double play, this time turned in favor of the Padres.
A Xander Bogaerts solo shot in the seventh inning cut Pittsburgh’s lead in half, but things continued to unfold in the eighth.
Bogey gets us on the board! pic.twitter.com/yni8wDnq3W
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 8, 2026
Thanks in part to a misjudged ball by first baseman Gavin Sheets and a subsequent error by Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, the Bucs were able to put up five runs on San Diego, extending their lead to six. The rest was history, and the Padres couldn’t overcome their errors and cold bats.
After losing 7-1, the Padres will need more than just three hits to win Wednesday’s rematch. One positive note: Starter Nick Pivetta dominated on Tuesday, showing hope for a rotation that desperately needs it.
Manager Craig Stammen depicted the tilt as competitive and emphasized the Padres getting beaten in the gaps on Tuesday defensively, emphasizing positioning moving forward. The first-year skipper stressed that despite his fielding error today, Xander Bogaerts has rebounded nicely of late. Ultimately, the former reliever left reporters with the hard truth, stating, “We are not going to make every single play.”
Moving forward, the Friars will look to get deeper outings out of their starters, including Pivetta, but in his five innings pitched the righty looked sharp.
Wednesday morning, Craig Stammen passes the ball to Michael King, who he hopes can improve on his last outing against Boston.
Billy has spent a majority of his life following San Diego sports and worked in San Diego for many years. Now residing in Newport Beach he recently obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Chapman University and now works as an Associate Personal Injury Attorney. Billy enjoys supporting the Padres and SDFC from Orange County and making the drive down for big games. He is passionate about analytics and writing about sports.