FRIAR POWER! Padres Go Boom Four Times, Mize Shoves in 5-0 Rout of Guardians

CLEVELAND — The San Diego Padres are officially the hottest show in baseball.

Four homers. Six shutout innings from a new kid on the block. And a 5-0 beatdown of the Cleveland Guardians that was never really in doubt.

Bombs Away

Luis Rengifo and Gavin Sheets went back-to-back in the second inning, turning a pitcher's duel into a fireworks show. Rengifo punished an elevated sinker from Tanner Bibee, launching it over the center-field wall. Five pitches later, Sheets deposited a changeup just over the right-field fence. It was the first time since last April the Padres had gone back-to-back.

Then Jase Bowen, who entered as a defensive replacement, made it 4-0 in the eighth with a shot to right. Jake Cronenworth closed the scoring with a solo blast to right-center in the ninth.

That gives San Diego four homers in a game for the sixth time this season. Not bad for a team that just keeps winning.

Mize Time

Casey Mize, the trade-deadline pickup from Detroit, finally grabbed his first win in a Padres uniform. He scattered three hits over six innings, and after a 3-hour, 11-minute rain delay, he was completely locked in. The Guardians managed just three hits total — and none after the fourth inning.

Highlights in the Outfield

Bowen wasn't just a bat. Before his homer, he made two ridiculous diving catches in the sixth and seventh innings, robbing Angel Martinez and Nathaniel Lowe of hits. Defense with a side of power? Yes, please.

Cleveland's Jose Ramirez had two hits, but the Guardians are ice cold, dropping their fifth straight series. They're 4-11 since July 31.

San Diego, meanwhile, is 17-5 since July 24 — the best mark in baseball — and 6-0-1 in their last seven series. This team is rolling with a capital R.

Up Next

The Padres head to New York to open a three-game set against the Mets on Monday, with Walker Buehler taking the mound. The Guardians host the Giants on Tuesday with Foster Griffin starting.