MIAMI – Luis Rengifo has only played in seven games for the San Diego Padres and in that amount of time, he has quickly emerged as a key piece during this critical stretch of the season.
During Friday’s opener against the Miami Marlins, Padres manager Craig Stammen called on Rengifo, who was not on the starting lineup, to pinch hit for Luis Campusano in the eighth inning. With one out against right-hander Tyler Zuber and Jase Bowen on second, the 29-year-old connected on a sweeper down the middle of the plate for a late go-ahead home run to right field.
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The two-run blast from Rengifo paired with a ironclad bullpen slammed the door shut on the Marlins, winning 4-2 and taking the first of a three game series at loanDepot Park.
Since joining the Padres, Rengifo is batting .435 (10-for-23) with two home runs, seven RBIs and has a 1.176 OPS. Not only did he hit is first career pinch hit home run but he currently riding a six game hitting streak.
The crucial at-bat couldn’t have come at a better. The Padres started the inning off with double by Ty France with no outs. After Bowen came in to pinch run for France, Jackson Merrill struck out five pitches later, which led to Rengifo.
Before then, the Padres had an opportunity jump in front with two runners on base with two outs. Fernando Tatis Jr. was clipped by a slider by reliever Lake Bachar and Jake Cronenworth walked for a third time.
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Miami would switch to Zuber and six pitches later, Manny Machado would get called out on strikes after an overturned ABS review.
Despite San Diego finishing with just five hits, the pair of runs they scored prior to the eighth came on a string of timely at-bats.
Machado and France forced Miami to start their bullpen game plan after recording back-to-back one out singles against starter Ryan Gusto in the fourth. Changing to reliever Cade Gibson, Merrill sent out a sac-fly to right fielder Griffin Conine to tie the game 1-1.
In the fifth, Bogaerts drew a four pitch lead off walk and advanced to second after a success sac-bunt by Sung-Mun Song. A batter later, Cronenworth walked and right after, Machado gave the Padres their first lead following a line drive single to left field.
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While it was consequential for the Padres to win this game, they needed their pitching, specially their starter, to not set them back.
The middle game of the three game series will take place on Saturday at 1:10 p.m., featuring left-hander JP Sears (2-3, 4.38 ERA) and right-hander Eury Perez (5-7, 3.53 ERA) on the mound.
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