SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. and his swagger returned to the playoffs with a blast.
The 25-year-old San Diego star hit a towering two-run homer on his first playoff swing in four seasons to give the Padres a 2-0 lead against rookie AJ Smith-Shawver and the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of their Wild Card Series on Tuesday night. The Padres went on to win 4-0.
The first-inning shot traveled 415 feet into the second deck in left field at Petco Park and sent the sellout, towel-waving crowd of 47,647 into a frenzy. The dreadlocked Dominican, who has always played with flair, watched the ball sail away, tossed his bat aside, gestured toward the home dugout and did his signature stutter step around third base.
“I knew it was going to go out,” Tatis said. “I didn’t know it was going to land in the second deck just because how high it was.”
He slipped a little bit on his swing.
“But I was fortunate enough to get my bat path where I wanted. And next thing we know, the ball was in the stands,” Tatis said.
The son of a former big league infielder, Tatis missed about 2 1/2 months this season with a stress reaction in his right thighbone. He returned in early September and finished the regular season with 21 homers and a .276 average.
He homered on a 94 mph four-seamer by the 21-year-old Smith-Shawver, one of the Braves’ top prospects. He was making his first playoff start and just his second this season.
Luis Arraez was aboard on a leadoff single. Arraez, obtained in a trade with Miami in early May, became the first player since the 1800s to win batting titles with three teams.
Right-hander Michael King, who was brilliant in winning his first playoff start, said he was sitting in the dugout with catcher Kyle Higashioka.
“I couldn’t see Tati, and I heard it,” King said. "And because the crack of the bat was louder than the fans, you knew it was hit really hard. And then I looked up and I thought it was going out of the stadium. The thing was mashed.
“It was huge for me and my attack plan to have a two-run lead right after the first inning,” said King, who struck out 12, walked none and allowed only five hits. “And also huge to get Tati going because he’s going to be a huge piece for us this postseason.”
Padres manager Mike Shildt said the homer “was pretty special. Said it right from the beginning, laser to left. And Tati didn’t waste any time. Got a pitch you can hit and put a big-boy swing on it. That was huge to get us up.”
Tatis experienced his first postseason game with fans in the stands. His first playoffs were in 2020 after the pandemic-shortened season. He missed San Diego's run to the 2022 NL Championship Series after receiving an 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension from MLB that August.
“It's beautiful energy,” Tatis said. “I love this type of situation. It definitely brings the best out of me. And just looking forward to way more experiences like this.”
His home run came on the anniversary of his two homers in a 2020 Wild Card Series game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Shildt, in his first season managing the Padres, was St. Louis’ skipper then.
Fans weren't allowed in the ballpark then due to the pandemic. On Tuesday night, Petco Park was sold out, just as it was during most of the regular season.
“It’s very rewarding. It’s one of the most beautiful sights that the game can bring to a baseball player,” Tatis said about the reception he got while running out to right field to start the game. “Just making your crowd going crazy is what we dream of as a kid. Hitting a home run in a clutch spot in a postseason meaning something is definitely what you work for. And those are definitely memories you’re going to take forever.”
Tatis was an All-Star at shortstop in 2021. He was moved to right field in 2023 and won both an NL Gold Glove and the Platinum Glove Award.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Bernie Wilson, The Associated Press