Petco Park- San Diego

In a rematch of the 1984 MLB World Series, the San Diego Padres welcomed the Detroit Tigers into town to begin the 2026 season.

The game did not start well for Nick Pivetta. “I was disconnected… Just looking to capitalize and get back to who I am,” Pivetta said after the game to the media.

The San Diego Padres’ opening day starter struggled in the first inning, coughing up four runs on four hits and three walks. With the Padres facing Tarik Skubal, this was a huge hole for the Padres to try to overcome. Skubal was his dominant self, going six innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run. He struck out six in the game on 74 pitches.

Detroit used timely hitting and great pitching to secure the 8-2 win over the Padres.

Pivetta simply looked too pumped, and the extra energy took him out of his game early. He was wild out of the zone and clearly looked peeved on the mound as things did not go his way. The right-hander threw 69 pitches in the game and was done after three innings. He allowed six earned runs (all earned) on seven hits, while striking out four men. “It wasn’t his best day, but he will be good for the rest of the season,” manager Craig Stammen said after the game.

The San Diego Padres bullpen tried to keep the game close as Ron Marinaccio came in to throw the fourth inning and was perfect. The right-hander did not complete a successful fifth inning, though, as he allowed a two-run homer off the bat of Dillon Dingler to make the score 8-0.

With Skubal dealing on the mound, the Padres crowd was docile. The Petco Park faithful were shocked. There was no energy. Through his first five innings, the lefty ace had only reached a three-ball count once, and that came with Freddy Fermin at the plate with two outs in the fourth. Skubal strutted off the mound after inducing a weak fly ball putout from Fermin to close the inning. “We had a game plan, and it was to be aggressive… a great pitcher and a good test for us on opening day,” Stammen said in the post-game presser.

The Padres provided some energy for the crowd in the home half of the sixth inning as Fernando Tatis Jr. reached on an error and scored on a Xander Bogaerts double down the left field line. Bogaerts made hard contact all three times against Skubal in the game, which bodes well for the shortstop regaining his offensive prowess. San Diego made it 8-1 at this point.

Ramon Laureano added to the score in the seventh inning as he blasted a solo shot into the Western Metal Building to provide some excitement for the home crowd.

Ramon Laureano SOLO HOME RUN!!!

▪️ The Padres score the first home run of the 2026 MLB season!!#ForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/OmnNJPiVE6

— San Diego Strong (@PadresStrong) March 26, 2026

San Diego fought, but could not rally against Detroit.

Kevin McGonigle is a rookie first-round pick from the 2023 season and one of the best prospects in the game.

The left-handed-hitting infielder went 3-for-3 for the Tigers to start the season with two doubles. He ended the day 4-for-5 at the plate. The 21-year-old started at third base for Detroit and looks to be a young player to keep an eye on moving forward. He joins Lou Whitaker (1977) and Johnny Lipon (1942) with three hits in their first big league game as a Tiger.

Two MLB at-bats
Two doubles

Kevin McGonigle is having himself a Major League debut ? #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/BWfYiH6jlk

— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2026

Bradgley Rodriguez made his 2026 debut, showcasing his excellent changeup. He struck out two batters in the sixth inning for San Diego. Rodriguez was asked to go out for the seventh inning, and the right-handed pitcher responded by earning three quick outs. He went two flawless innings, striking out three batters in 20 total pitches.

Jackson Merrill went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts against Tarik Skubal in the game. It was a tough ask for the Padres as they slotted the lefty in the cleanup spot in the order against one of the toughest southpaws in the league.

There will be better days for the Padres as the early deficit, mixed with back-to-back Cy Young Award-winner Tarik Skubal toeing the rubber, was too much for San Diego.

Craig Stammen begins his major league managerial career with a tough home loss. “I hope it goes well (the season), but we got off to a bad start. It is just the game of baseball,” Stammen said after the game. The new manager knows that this early in the season,

Up Next

The Padres and Tigers will battle in Game 2 of the series on Friday,

The first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM (PDT).

Framber Valdez will debut for the Tigers against right-handed pitcher Michael King.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.