The San Diego Padres aren’t exactly unfamiliar with what unfolded at Tropicana Field. Back in June, Manny Machado’s temper was at the center of an incident involving the umpires. Machado was called out on what he believed was a check swing, and his frustration boiled over as he slammed his helmet. The result? He was fined after the umpire deemed his actions unsportsmanlike. He paid the price then, but two months later, will his teammate’s temper lead to a similar outcome?
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A bunt single appeared to allow Fernando Tatis Jr. to reach second base on a throwing error. Instead, a call by umpire Cody Blaser turned the play on its head.
“That’s a fu–ing joke,” Tatis yelled at the umpire, according to the X post from Jomboy Media.
The San Diego Padres entered the seventh inning with a 2-1 lead when Sung-mun Song hit a sacrifice fly off Tampa Bay Rays reliever Cam Booser’s 96-mph fastball. Samad Taylor scored on the play, extending the Padres’ lead to 3-1.
Fernando Tatis Jr. came to the plate next and bunted the very first pitch before sprinting toward first base. The pitcher fielded the ball and threw to Jonathan Aranda at first, but the throw sailed past him, allowing Tatis to reach second. However, the umpire at first base noticed that the San Diego star had run over the grass and, instead of awarding him a double, called Tatis out.
The $340 million star didn’t like that ruling and started arguing with the umpire. His manager entered the field to defend his player, as he seemed convinced that Tatis wasn’t running too far away inside the first-base line to be called out, but he couldn’t convince the umpire.
In fact, his arguments led the umpire to eject him. This infuriated the Padres outfielder even more. While his manager was trying to calm him down, saying, “Tati, we’re good,” he had already reacted. He stripped off his protective gear from his arms and legs and slammed them to the ground. He did the same with his helmet. The official wasted little time tossing him as well.
“It’s a rule made for somebody who hasn’t played the game. We just got thrown out, and obviously, I’m hot,” Tatis said after the game. “I just got a base hit taken away from a really tough series.”
According to the updated rules from 2024, a runner must have both feet on the dirt lane. If he is running through the infield grass and a throw is being made, the umpire will call interference and rule him out.
“We’re over here grinding, and then that’s obviously a base hit,” Tatis said in a follow-up piece written by Joey Johnston of MLB.com. “As a player and guy who plays every single day and knows how hard this game is, it should get you hot because you definitely care and you want to do good for the team.
“They didn’t care to explain [the ruling]. They didn’t even care to give me the face. I felt like I played this game for a very long time and, you know, I should deserve some answers.”
His manager thought the umpiring crew should have only assessed him for a uniform violation without ejecting the player, and instead of agreeing with the interference, he put it on the pitcher.
“From my perspective, if you’re running at the base straight-on and the throw doesn’t touch you, it didn’t really affect the play. It was a bad play by the pitcher, and he gets off scot-free,” the manager added.
The incident marked the second ejection of Tatis’ career, while Stammen picked up his fifth in his first season as a manager.
He reiterated that Fernando Tatis Jr.’s decision to run through the turf didn’t affect the throw or the play. And the worst part? The call changed the tide of the game.
The ejection became more costly
Tatis’ out wrapped the half inning. While they were still ahead by 3-1, a 2-run homer in the ninth brought them back to square one. The game went into extra innings. The tenth went scoreless for both sides, and an RBI single from Ty France in the next inning helped the Padres take the lead again. Only for a moment, though.
The Rays made it 4-4 on an error in the bottom of the eleventh. Then Jorge Mateo’s single allowed Kenneth Piper to reach home and clinch a victory, and Tampa Bay completed a sweep at home.
Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a 14-year, $340 million deal with San Diego. He is on one of his hottest streaks with a .281 batting average and 67 RBIs this season. That single play could have created more chances for the Padres. Instead, the 27-year-old went 0-for-4 in this game, and they lost the game and the series in the end.
Although the Padres had a commendable 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, their playoff dream is still on the line. They are second in the NL West with a 73-65 record. They are 0.0 games behind in the Wild Card race. Tatis must keep his emotions in check and be aware of the rules to help his team reach the postseason.