San Diego Padres beat Washington Nationals 3-2 behind Nick Pivetta's return

The San Diego Padres defeated the Washington Nationals 3-2, fueled by a strong return from pitcher Nick Pivetta and multi-hit performances from Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Pivetta pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and issuing no walks in his first start since being placed on the injured list in April due to right elbow inflammation. The Padres built an early lead in the first inning when Merrill hit an RBI single to drive in Manny Machado. They extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning following RBI singles from both Machado and Merrill.

While Dylan Crews hit a two-run home run for the Nationals in the sixth inning, the Padres held on for the victory. The win keeps San Diego within a half-game of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final National League wild card spot.