Kai-Wei Teng faces a tough assignment in San Diego as the Giants take on Nick Pivetta and the Padres at Petco Park. Teng owns a 9.90 ERA and 5.52 FIP through 10 innings, with eight strikeouts and eight walks, and his last start vs San Diego was brutal (seven runs, six earned in 1 2/3). Pivetta counters with a 2.87 ERA, 3.27 FIP, and 144 strikeouts in 141.1 innings; in his most recent outing he allowed one run on three hits with five Ks over six frames. This game leans toward pitching mastery, but Teng must limit free passes and avoid the big inning if he’s to keep fantasy managers hope alive against a Padres lineup that can punish mistakes.
The 6:40 p.m. PT start in Petco Park features regional and national coverage (NBCS Bay Area and MLB Network) with radio on KNBR and KSFN. At 61-64, the Giants visit the 69-56 Padres in a late-season showdown with real implications for both teams’ rotations and bullpens. For fantasy players, Pivetta is the solid cash-game staple, while Teng represents a high-variance dart throw whose upside depends on command and a cleaner bounce-back start.
In short, this duel screams volatility but also upside for those willing to ride the pitcher who minimizes walks and avoids the plate-damaging mistake. Expect Pivetta to carry a reliable floor with strikeout potential, while Teng will need to redirect his control to deliver a surprise quality outing and a favorable fantasy result in a game that could tilt on a single inning.
