Jackson Merrill had three hits and knocked in two runs Monday and Nick Pivetta sailed through five scoreless innings in his return to the Padres’ rotation as San Diego edged the visiting Washington Nationals 3-2.
Pivetta (2-2), who last pitched on April 12 before landing on the injured list with elbow flexor tendinitis, allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out two in a 63-pitch effort. Four relievers took care of the rest with Mason Miller pitching the ninth for his 34th save in 36 chances.
Cole Irvin (2-9) absorbed the loss for Washington (67-79), giving up eight hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings while walking two and fanning three. It was the fifth straight loss for the Nationals.
San Diego (76-68) won consecutive games for the first time since sweeping Minnesota from August 21-23. It stayed a half-game behind Arizona for the National League’s last wild-card berth as the Diamondbacks outlasted Kansas City 5-4 in 10 innings.
Merrill initiated scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out RBI single to right that scored Manny Machado, who doubled prior to Ty France’s walk.
The Padres made it 3-0 in the third. Fernando Tatis Jr. led off with one of his three hits and made it to second on Jake Cronenworth’s fielder’s choice bouncer that saw him beat the force. Machado followed with a run-scoring single to left.
After France bounced into a double play, Merrill looped an RBI single to center that plated Machado from second.
Pivetta retired the side in order in every inning but the third, when he had to deal with a two-on, two-out jam after James Wood laced a double to right. But he induced an inning-ending grounder.
Washington scored its runs in the sixth off Kyle Hart. Dylan Crews launched his 11th homer of the year into the second deck in left-center with Abimelec Ortiz aboard after a two-out single.
San Diego outhit the Nationals 9-5 but left eight men on base.
