Nick Pivetta put his hands on his head as Wilyer Abreu’s fourth-inning drive sailed over the right-center wall.

The Padres’ right-hander had endured only a handful of poor starts this year, but Friday was not an optimal time for an “off” night.

For one, the team that allowed Pivetta to leave as a free agent was in town.

The Padres were also looking for as much length as possible from their best pitcher on the eve of Michael King’s return, so six innings in a 10-2 laugher at the hands of his old Red Sox friends was at least a small victory for Pivetta.

Again, a small victory.

After all, Pivetta had spent the previous four seasons with the team that knocked him around in the middle innings in front of a sellout crowd of 44,061 at Petco Park.

Even he didn’t try to downplay the proverbia

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