Aug 18, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitch hitter Ryan O'Hearn (32) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images David Frerker-Imagn Images

Padres' Ryan O'Hearn Was Surprised By His New Teammate

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 7:06 PM ET

San Diego Padres designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn spoke highly about teammate Nick Pivetta, who delivered a gem on Tuesday.

The Padres beat the San Francisco Giants, 5-1, at Petco Park. Pivetta went six innings and only allowed a run while racking up an impressive 10 strikeouts.

His stuff looked sharp and on point, keeping batters guessing and allowing the Padres to stop their four-game losing streak.

The starter allowed the bullpen to come in and shut the game down, while the offense finally got going early on.

O'Hearn went 2-for-4 with an RBI, proving his worth in the lineup and giving the offense a jolt.

After the game, he had glowing remarks about Pivetta, even though he noted that his initial impression was not so nice, dating back to when O'Hearn played for the Baltimore Orioles for two years while Pivetta was on the Boston Red Sox.

“Playing against Nick for years when he was in Boston, I was like, ‘Man, this guy’s — I don’t know about this guy.’ But playing with him, I love him,” O’Hearn said, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“He’s awesome. And just what a competitor he is when he takes the ball, you feel good about having a guy like that on your team.”

Pivetta has been a workhorse for San Diego, pitching 141.1 innings while posting a 2.87 ERA with 144 strikeouts on the season.

He goes long, gets swings-and-misses, and does not walk many batters. For a middle-of-the-rotation arm, the nine-year veteran is as good as they come.

After his showing, he was rightfully pumped up about getting his 10th strikeout on the night.

“I really wanted that 10th punchy really bad, so I was pretty happy with that,” Pivetta said.

“But I think it’s just overall, just the way I pitch. I’m an emotional person, but I care a lot about my teammates. Care a lot about this organization, and I want to win, so I’m gonna let emotion out.”

While Dylan Cease has been inconsistent, and the rest of the rotation has been banged up for most of the season, Pivetta remains a constant, reliable arm for the Friars and someone they will have to lean on come October.