Baseball can be brutal, especially when you’re a rookie. But what happens when certain mistakes cost your team the game? That’s exactly what unfolded when Marlin’s 25-year-old second baseman took the field against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.

What started as a promising night quickly spiraled into heartbreak, ending with a tearful exit from the diamond. And now, in the aftermath, a player is stepping up to offer support when it’s needed the most. But it’s not coming from his team, but from the Padres. Fernando Tatis Jr.

Marlins’ rookie Ronny Simon left the field in tears after he committed not one, not two, but three errors. And for the Marlins, who were 6-0 after the first inning, the night ended with 6-8 and a loss to the Padres. After the fourth inning, the 25-year-old left the field crying, and he never came back. He was removed from the game for a defensive replacement.

But after the game, something heartwarming unfolded. Padres’ right fielder Tatis Jr. offered a few words of encouragement for the rookie — after all, when games get tough, that’s all you need, a little support.

When asked about Simon after the game, Tatis Jr. said to Marty Caswell, “It happens, it’s baseball. I know everybody that has won a Gold Glove or Platinum Glove have had one of those nights.” He didn’t forget to compliment Simon, “I definitely know he’s a great player. He has won MVP from Winner’s League over there in Dominican and I’m seeing him play really good baseball and I have no doubt he’s gonna be a great baseball player.”

Even though such happenings are normal in baseball, for Simon, it was definitely a rough night. And with this encouraging push from an experienced player, that too, from the opposing team, he might have felt a bit more at ease.

After starting his Triple-A season hitting .354 from 15 games, he was called up to the Marlins just last month to minimize the team’s offensive struggles. But on Tuesday, while covering second base, he was met with misfortune after misfortune. Everything started in the second inning when he dove for Tyler Wade’s grounder. 

Simon dove for the ball, only for it to be deflected off his glove. The ball then went into foul territory with his misfire to the plate, which raised the score up to 6-3. He also fielded Tatis Jr.’s grounder, but that too didn’t end as Simon hoped. He tried to force Wade at second, but his throw went over shortstop Javier Sanoja’s head for another error.

These errors allowed the Padres to tie the game, and he was replaced by Sanoja in the bottom of the fifth, with Otto Lopez taking over at shortstop. Simon finished the game 1-for-2 with an RBI, and for a rookie, it’s definitely a lot to take in; his tears are completely understandable.

But this win meant a lot for the Padres, it was nothing short of a remarkable comeback. And Tatis was confident all along that they could turn the game in their favor.

From 6-0 to win: Padres turn the tide against Marlins

Nobody would have expected the San Diego Padres to make a stunning comeback after that brutal start at Petco Park. They had won the series opener 4-3 on Monday. But on Tuesday night, when the first inning ended, they were already down 6-0.

After a shaky start, the relief pitcher turned starter, Stephen Kolek, turned it around by pitching the next 5.1 innings scoreless. And that, coupled with the team’s offensive support, Tatis Jr.’s home run, and blunders from the Marlins, sealed the win for the Padres – 8-6. And Tatis clearly seemed pleased with the outcome.

While talking to the media after the game, Tatis shared his thoughts with Marty Caswell. “All of us knew that we were going to come back one way or the other. We were just going to find a way, struggling or not. Let’s just play baseball, see the game. We just knew we were going to make it happen, and gladly we found our way.” And that’s what really happened; they found their way, and his homer was definitely another boost for the win.

When asked about his home run, he exclaimed, “Blessed by God. I looked at the video and was like, how did it happen? Blessed from the man above, definitely hard work, good help from the hitting coaches.”

The luck was clearly with the team on Tuesday. With the second win against the Marlins, they currently sit in second place in the NL West with 31-22. They are looking for a sweep when they face the Marlins again on the 29th and to raise their winning streak to four. Will the luck favor them again? Well, only time will tell.