Fernando Tatis Jr. delivered a spectacular performance in the Padres’ 5-2 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field, producing two home runs and one of the most remarkable home-run robberies of his career.
Tatis opened the game with a 452-foot home run, according to Statcast projections, sending the ball into the second deck between left and center field. In the fifth inning, he added a two-run homer to right field.
But the defensive play between those two home runs stole the spotlight. Tatis raced toward the right-field wall, near the 330-foot sign, and leaped over the fence with his glove extended to rob what would have been a grand slam. His cap flew off during the jump, and after securing the ball, he raised it for the crowd at Citi Field.
The moment carried special meaning for Tatis, who grew up around baseball while his father played for the Mets. As a 10-year-old, he said he used to practice robbing home runs by hitting balls against a wall outside his father’s apartment and jumping over it to make catches.
Tatis called the play his No. 1 favorite, not necessarily because of the catch itself, but because of the situation. He said his pitcher was struggling and that taking a grand slam off the scoreboard “changes the game.”
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The Dominican outfielder, a two-time Platinum Glove winner, has built a reputation for spectacular defensive plays and has previously robbed numerous home runs, including four at Petco Park during a 27-game stretch last season.
