Mize stifles bats, offense swats four homers as Padres take two of three in Cleveland

CLEVELAND -- Despite an over three hour rain delay before commencing Sunday's rubber match against the Guardians, the high vibes kept rolling for the Padres after a 5-0 shutout victory at Progressive Field to keep themselves in playoff position.

Casey Mize, the crafty righty San Diego acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline, followed up on his impressive six inning, six strikeout performance against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 10 with another six scoreless frames over Cleveland. Mize struck out three batters while surrendering three hits and a walk, lowering his season ERA to 3.18 as a result.

As Mize completed his duties on the mound, the Friar offense would also give him breathing room early on in the ballgame, as Luis Rengifo and Gavin Sheets connected for back-to-back home runs in the second inning off Guardians starter Tanner Bibee. 

Rengifo, who was designated for assignment by the Brewers on June 16, keeps mounting his case for a permanent spot in San Diego's lineup when rosters expand on September 1. The switch-hitting utility-man is slashing .323/.411/.473 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 93 at-bats since signing a minors deal with the Padres in late June.

Like Rengifo, Jase Bowen, the 25 year-old outfielder who made his Major League debut earlier this season with San Diego, also turned heads in Sunday's win. The Northwood, Ohio product had family and friends in attendance for what was an exciting ending to a homecoming after taking over defensively in left field for Sheets in the sixth inning.

The speedy Bowen would go onto make two dazzling catches, one of them robbing Angel Martínez of extra bases and a possible RBI. He wouldn't stop there. Bowen fortified San Diego's lead in the eighth by popping an opposite-field solo homer, the second of his young career.

"Good players make managers look good," said Padres manager Craig Stammen on his decision to play Bowen late in Sunday's win. "He made a couple great diving plays and then topped it off with a homer for his family — I'm happy for Jase, he wasn't in the starting lineup, but he's got a great attitude about it and ended up being one of the players of the game today."

Stammen was afforded the opportunity to rest closer Mason Miller after Jake Cronenworth's solo homer in the ninth put the ballgame in a non-save situation. The Friar skipper used a combination of three relievers in Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, and Yuki Matsui to record the final nine outs of the contest. 

The Padres, who are most certainly playing their best baseball up to this point, are winners in nine of their last 11 games, are 19-10 since the All-Star break, and have gone seven consecutive series without a series loss. After the weekend series win, they sit tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for the second National League Wild Card spot. 

They now head to Queens for three against old friend Juan Soto and the New York Mets before returning home to Petco Park.