MIAMI -- Luis Rengifo’s pinch-hit, two-run home run proved decisive in the Padres’ 4-2 victory over the Marlins on Friday night -- a crucial victory in the National League playoff picture.
Here’s some instant reaction from loanDepot park:
Rengifo does it again
Samad Taylor is out with a strained oblique. Miguel Andujar is out with a fractured wrist. Someone on the Padres’ bench needed to step up.
Enter Rengifo.
Released by the Brewers in late June, Rengifo signed with the Padres shortly thereafter. He was called up just before the All-Star break and has wasted no time making an impact.
Friday brought Rengifo’s most important swing yet. With the game tied in the eighth, manager Craig Stammen called for Rengifo to bat for Luis Campusano. He got a hanging sweeper and pulverized it into the right-field seats for his second home run in three days.
Since joining the Padres, Rengifo is hitting .435 with a 1.176 OPS. He’s been everything they needed -- and then some.
Desperate times in the rotation
Technically, Germán Márquez is a starter. He’s been starting every fifth day. But, really, isn’t Márquez more a long man than anything else? He’s a long man … who happens to start games.
Márquez went three innings his last time out. He lasted only 2 1/3 against the Marlins. It wasn’t that he was pitching poorly. He wasn’t hurt, either. It’s just that the Padres’ optimal strategy right now is to give their starters minimal leash, then to make it work with their bullpen.
It’s unclear how sustainable that is. The bullpen has clearly felt a burden. Then again, it’s hard to argue with the Padres’ reasoning. Michael King has been the only reliable member of the rotation. Entering play Friday, those starters had combined for the fourth-highest ERA in the Majors (4.69).
The Padres need to win these games to stay alive in the Wild Card race. By any means necessary. It worked on Friday.
Tatis is so good in right field
You already know this. You don’t need me to tell you. Heck, it’s not like Fernando Tatis Jr. even did anything highlight-worthy on Friday night.
Except he might’ve saved the game with his arm -- and didn’t even record an assist.
With two outs in the seventh, Kyle Stowers hit what looked like a certain double into the right-field corner. Tatis ranged quickly to his left and cut the ball off before it reached the wall. Then, he spun.
Stowers cut off his turn around first base at that very moment. For good reason. Tatis delivered a perfect one-hop strike to the bag. Stowers would have been out, easily.
There aren’t many right fielders who turn that type of batted ball into a single. And sure enough, Heriberto Hernández, the next batter, followed with a double that likely would’ve plated Stowers if he were on second.
Adrian Morejon was summoned from the bullpen, and he escaped the jam, setting up Rengifo’s heroics.