Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. enters Shohei Ohtani territory with epic HR feat
Tatis #Tatis
The San Diego Padres entered Wednesday night’s game against the Cleveland Guardians with their sights set on win number five in six games. Fernando Tatis Jr. took the challenge personally, belting a solo home run in the top of the second that set MLB Twitter ablaze.
The home run was the Padres shortstop’s 14th of the season, placing him in rare territory. Only AL MVP frontrunner Shohei Ohtani of the Angels (16) and Mookie Betts of the Dodgers (15) have more home runs since the debut of Tatis Jr. on April 20.
The Padres’ recent play has raised expectations for the team. Tatis Jr. addressed them after destroying the Mariners last week.
“Coming into the season, there has been a lot of expectation, especially with the talent that we have,” Fernando Tatis Jr. said. “And people just expect us to do this every single day. It’s like, ‘No, this is baseball.’
“But at the end of the day, for sure, we’re gonna have more of those days than the bad days.”
Tatis Jr. is hitting .276 on the season and a blistering .400 in his last seven games. Relief pitcher Joe Hader and starter Michael Wacha are among the team’s top All-Star Game candidates for 2023.
As the team continues to round into form, all eyes are on Tatis Jr. and his rising power numbers. The Padres’ current six game homestand concludes against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 18.
With the MLB All-Star Game less than a month away, the Padres know time is of the essence in their quest for a division title.
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