The San Diego Padres started their Wild Card series against the Chicago Cubs in the best possible way. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Michael King propelled the Padres to an 8-0 victory. Following their Game 1 win, they made a Game 2 announcement regarding Nick Pivetta.
Kevin Gausman, formerly of the Toronto Blue Jays, will pitch for the Cubs in Game 2. Game 2 is scheduled for 10:00 PM Eastern Time, 7:00 PM Pacific Time.
San Diego Padres Announce Starting Pitcher For Game 2 Versus The Chicago Cubs
The Padres are looking to keep flying high and send the Cubs packing on Wednesday night. To do that, they announced Pivetta as their starting pitcher.
“Piv gets the nod,” the team said a few hours before Game 2 began.
Pivetta is a 33-year-old pitcher who spent most of his 2026 regular season on three rehab assignments.
Over those rehab assignments, Pivetta made only three appearances, two of which were starts. In those appearances, he recorded 11 strikeouts in eight innings. He also posted a 3.38 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.
His numbers when he returned to the big leagues were even better.
Pivetta had 42 strikeouts and a 3-2 win-loss record in eight starts. He also threw 34.2 innings, posting a 2.86 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP.
Looking At Nick Pivetta Against The Chicago Cubs
Pivetta has pitched 107 at-bats to Cubs batters.
Of those batters, the one to be most wary of is Dansby Swanson. In 36 at-bats, he has 10 hits, one double, and two home runs. On the flip side, Pivetta has struck him out 12 times.
As far as batters who Pivetta has their number on, a couple certainly stand out. Ian Happ has been struck out eight times in 12 at-bats, while Pete Crow-Armstrong has been struck out four times in five at-bats.
If Pivetta can come close to that kind of performance today, that bodes well for the Padres.
San Diego Padres Announce Nick Pivetta News During Chicago Cubs WC Series