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The San Diego Padres are closing in on a postseason berth and one of the biggest reasons for that has been the performance of first-year Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta. He signed late in the offseason, just prior to Spring Training, and assimilated himself to his team and the City of San Diego with
his performance on the mound.
Pivetta has pitched in 30 games and compiled a record of 13-5 with an ERA of 2.81. He has th best ERA among San Diego starters and the most wins. Pivetta has thrown 176 innings to lead Padres starters and has logged 185 strikeouts on the year, which is second only to Dylan Cease among San Diego starters.
Ramón Laureano came to the Padres at the trade deadline, along with Ryan O’Hearn. Both players have had big moments, but Laureano has produced more consistently at the plate and in the field. However, it should be mentioned that O’Hearn, who had been mired in a prolonged slump, broke out of it in the final two games against the Chicago White Sox over the weekend. He had back-to-back days with multiple hits and delivered a crucial three-run double to propel San Diego to the win Saturday.
Gavin Sheets has also been instrumental in his first season with the Padres. He has helped San Diego by providing some much needed slug. Sheets has already reached a career-high in home runs with 19 and he still has a week left in the regular season to add to that total.
Each of these players has had a part in helping the Padres put themselves in position to clinch a postseason berth Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. As valuable as they are, readers of Gaslamp Ball have confirmed that Pivetta has been the most significant addition to the roaster and will need to continue to perform well if San Diego expects to have a prolonged stay in the postseason.
