Home/MLB
Home/MLB
feature-image
feature-image

On Thursday afternoon, at Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants edged out the San Diego Padres 3-2 in the series finale, earning a split in the four-game series. During the last matchup, there came a moment where Fernando Tatis Jr. got a bit too confident that he would have bet on it that he had just put the Padres ahead of the Giants. For now, let’s just say he might never be able to live that moment down.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

It all unfolded in the eighth inning when Tatis stepped up against the Giants’ pitcher Randy Rodriguez and absolutely crushed the pitch to deep center field. According to Tatis, he got all of that pitch. It did look like a no-doubter off the bat. In fact, he flipped his bat in the air in excitement, thinking that he just hit a go-ahead two-run homer.

However, little did he know that the wind fought back. It held the ball back in the park. And just like that, Giants’ catcher Jung Hoo Lee caught the ball in the warning track for a straight second out in the inning. Tatis was in pure disbelief for a minute. “He thought he had it. He can’t believe it didn’t go over. He just got Oracle’d,” the announcer said. The size of the stadium had betrayed Tatis.

ADVERTISEMENT

To cut him some slack, he had some fair points. The flyout had a 108 mph exit velocity and a launch angle of 23 degrees. And taking a look at Statcast metrics, it showed hard-hit baseballs had a batting average of .988 and 83.8% of the hits that result in home runs. So, it makes sense why he thought that ball was meant to be for the bleachers.

Tatis is currently hitting .268 with 13 home runs, 28 RBIs, and an .816 OPS. This time, the wind at Oracle Park had other plans that helped the Giants stack up a 3-4 win.

ADVERTISEMENT

Both the Padres and the Giants are now running side by side with 35–26 and 35–28 scores, respectively. However, more than the 3-4 loss for the Padres, it was Tatis’ embarrassing play that grabbed the spotlight.

Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports

Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports

ADVERTISEMENT

Fans Roast Tatis Jr. with No Mercy

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s one misjudged bat flip has given MLB fans another chance to roast him and the San Diego Padres. In Tatis’ case, the numbers behind his hit backed him; however, the optics and the controversies attached to him from the past made him an easy target for the fans.

The minute that clip went viral, where Tatis’ embarrassing play was displayed, it made fans recall a pattern with him: “Typical Tatis behavior,” one noted on X. This one wasn’t just about the fly ball and the dramatic bat flip; it was about everything from the past. Back in May, he got hit by a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies. Even that time, it sparked criticism over his carelessness.

Top Stories

Blue Jays Hit Serious Snag in Kyle Tucker Chase as Dodgers Link Intensifies, Per Insider

Giants GM Makes Rafael Devers Announcement Involving Massive Upgrade in SF Clubhouse Role

Blue Jays to Show Exit Door to 3 Playoff Stars as Ross Atkins Plans Major Changes: MLB Winter Meeting Rumors

Blue Jays’ Hidden Motive Behind $37M Ex-Mets Heist Surfaces as Trey Yesavage Receives Major Boost

Yankees & Brian Cashman Warned as Dodgers Clear Up Roster for $80M Star’s Homecoming

The major controversy attached to him is his 2022 PED suspension. A fan remarked, “Need more PEDs.” It was a straight shot at the credibility Tatis has been working on for a while. Back then, he excused the consumption of a ringworm medication. It fueled fans at that time, and it gave them another chance this time to imply that, without PEDs, he couldn’t play well.

ADVERTISEMENT

Let’s not forget about the outfield dimensions: “That field is f—— huge,” a fan noted. Well, Oracle Park is a 12.7-acre site. And in Tatis’ defense, the launch angle was 23 degrees. However, even with great angle, velocity, and everything, he couldn’t conquer the massive outfield. Then there was the brutal reality of the weather, too. “Wind probably held it back. He thought he got it.” If you think about it, Tatis’ hit had a .988 expected batting average, and over 83% of similar balls go as home runs. Can’t do much about the weather, though. The wind had other plans.

Some didn’t take a jab at Tatis; they came for the team itself: “Peak Padres behavior.” Is it a pattern? According to fans, they have a recurring pattern of underwhelming execution. Sure, there’d be immense potential in some players, but the Padres seem to fall short in moments like these.

A single swing can carry a lot of weight. Try pairing it with embarrassing premature celebrations. The roast session isn’t dying anytime soon.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT