PITTSBURGH -- It has been an-up-down season for Nick Pivetta, to say the least.

The Red Sox right-hander experienced one of his best moments of 2022 on Tuesday night, though, in a 5-3 victory over the Pirates in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Pivetta pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed only one hit -- a two-out single by Ben Gamel in the first inning -- for his first win since June 24. He had six strikeouts and three walks. Pivetta retired his last nine batters to end his 99-pitch outing.

“He did a good job,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He was able to expand [the strike zone]. He gave us enough. He felt good about his stuff. The walks, we’ve got to limit, but overall, a real good one.”

Pivetta had gone 0-4 with a 7.24 ERA in his previous eight starts. However, after allowing two baserunners in the first inning -- Bryan Reynolds walked ahead of Gamel’s hit -- Pivetta was sensational.

The Canadian improved his overall record to 9-9. He started the season 0-4 with a 7.84 ERA in his first five starts, and then went 8-2 with a 1.85 ERA in 10 starts before struggling again.

“It was good,” Pivetta said. “I was in the strike zone the whole game, which was nice. They had a few walks, which was unfortunate, but [catcher Reese McGuire] did a good job back there. We were able to communicate really well, and I was able to be proficient in the strike zone.”

Pivetta continued a good run of outings by Red Sox starters in recent days. The rotation held the American League East-leading Yankees to four runs while Boston took two of three from New York at Fenway Park last weekend.

On Sunday night, Michael Wacha pitched seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball.

“Building on starts, I think it’s really important,” Pivetta said. “We just can feed off each other and compete against other. I harped on this earlier [in the season] but the most important thing is putting up zeroes for your fellow starting pitchers so you can build off that and continue to move forward and each guy kind of gets more confidence.”

The Pirates had no answers for Pivetta.

“He executed pretty much everything,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I thought the slider was really good. He used the changeup. He was really effective. He came at us and commanded the zone the entire time.”

Pivetta has pitched a team-high 136 2/3 innings in 24 starts this season. That is 37 more than any other Red Sox pitcher, as Nathan Eovaldi is second on the staff with 99 2/3 innings.

That kind of durability is a point of pride for Pivetta, whose career high for innings is 164 in 2018 for the Phillies.

“I’m really happy about that,” Pivetta said. “I’ve worked extremely hard in the offseason to try to make the adjustments to my body, and our training staff does a good job, too. I try to make sure I show up in position every five days to do the best I can and pitch as long as I can go. There’s a lot that goes into it.”

Pivetta got early run support as the Red Sox scored four times in the top of the first inning and added an unearned run in the second.

Alex Verdugo, Christian Arroyo and Eric Hosmer hit consecutive run-scoring singles in the first. Kiké Hernández capped the outburst with a sacrifice fly in his first game back after missing more than two months with a strained right hip flexor and a hematoma on an abdominal muscle.

In the second, Tommy Pham scored when Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds dropped Verdugo’s fly ball with two outs. That was it for the Red Sox’s offense, though. Three Pittsburgh relievers combined for seven no-hit innings.

Yet it was more than enough for Pivetta as the Red Sox withstood Ben Gamel’s three-run double in the eighth inning that drew the Pirates within two runs. Righty reliever Matt Barnes pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.

“It allows you to really go out and just pitch naturally and attack the strike zone,” Pivetta said of the early run support. “It makes a difference.”