Luis Rengifo takes seat against Guardians

The Padres got four homers today from players who had combined for 22 previously this season (15 from Gavin Sheets, three from Rengifo and Jake Cronenworth and one from Jase Bowen). Rengifo is hitting .323/.411/.473 in 27 games for the Padres. All four of his homers have come with his new team; he went without one in 57 games with the Brewers.

Campusano’s two doubles both came at great times for the Padres here. His first brought home two runs with the bases loaded in a tie game in the fifth and knocked out Guardians’ starter Gavin Williams. Then, after the Guardians scratched across a run in the sixth, Campusano’s next two-bagger gave the Padres another insurance run. He lost two months of his season to injury, but has been highly productive otherwise with a .317 batting average and .935 OPS in 145 plate appearances.

The Brewers got one in the top of the 11th, but it wasn’t enough. It initially looked like Jackson Merrill hit the game winner with one out and runners on first and third in the bottom of the inning, but right fielder Luis Lara made a fantastic leaping catch to turn it into a sac fly. After a stolen base put the winning run on second, Campusano hit a low liner to right for a clean single. Lara’s throw home seemed to be in time to retire the runner, but Gary Sánchez jumped to catch the ball when it really didn’t seem like he needed to and then couldn’t get the tag down in time. It gave the Padres a three-game sweep with two one-run victories and an 11-2 blowout.

Showing off against the club that signed him last winter, Rengifo improved to .321/.415/.457 with three homers in 24 games for the Padres. He hit .205/.280/.254 in 57 games with the Brewers, but they’re surely not bitter at all.

The Padres still won’t give Campusano DH time, but at least he’s starting at catcher more frequently than Freddy Fermin right now. He’s batting .311/.410/.513 in 139 plate appearances.

Sheets already sat versus lefties on Thursday and Friday, but now he’s sitting in favor Luis Rengifo versus a righty, too. Sheets is currently in a 5-for-50 slump. He hasn’t had an extra-base hit since July 2.

Sheets will get a breather in this one with a left-hander toeing the slab for the Giants. Luis Rengifo will function as the club’s designated hitter in his place and will bat second for the Padres on Thursday night in San Diego.

Rengifo was the hero here. He was called upon to pinch-hit for catcher Luis Campusano and he launched a back-door sweeper from Marlins’ reliever Tyler Zuber out over the right field fence. He’s now appeared in seven games since being picked up by the Padres after the Brewers released him and has gone 10-for-23 with two home runs.

Campusano was scratched from the Padres’ lineup on Sunday due to abdominal soreness, but it looks like it was only a minor issue and he’s doing much better after a few days off. He’ll start behind the dish and bat ninth for the Padres on Friday evening against Royals’ right-hander Seth Lugo.

Campusano is available off the bench, so this is all precautionary, and not related to the oblique injury that shelved him in late June. The 27-year-old should be considered day-to-day, with a good chance to return after the All-Star break.