Tatis Hits 30th Homer But Padres Lose in Miami on Terrible Night for Umpires
Doug Eddings #DougEddings
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JULY 24: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres hits a solo in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on July 24, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his 30th home run of the season (in just his 82nd game) in the 1st inning of Saturday’s game against the Marlins in Miami. Rookie pitcher Ryan Weathers, fresh off the Injured List, hit the first home run of his career in the 3rd inning.
Then home plate umpire Doug Eddings seemed to take it upon himself to make sure the Padres did not score any more runs.
Eddings’ strike zone expanded to include most of Miami-Dade County, infuriating the San Diego dugout and prompting the ejection of both Tommy Pham and Skip Schumaker, in a 3-2 Marlins comeback win.
Weathers tossed 4.0 shutout innings and looked pretty good in his first outing since going on the 10-day IL with an ankle injury. He also hammered a solo homer to straightaway centerfield off Miami starter Braxton Garrett. As it turns out, that would be the last run the Friars scored.
After the 3rd inning the Padres didn’t get another hit but struck out eight more times and five of those were looking. That’s a ridiculously high number for an offense as talented as San Diego’s. Replays showed none of those backwards K’s were anywhere near the strike zone. Eddings was giving several inches off the outside corner (but, curiously, did not extend the same courtesy to Padres pitchers).
In the bottom of the 8th inning Emilio Pagan put a fastball right on the inside corner but it was called a ball. Associate manager Skip Shumaker was so upset he got himself ejected for the first time in his MLB career as a player or coach.
Miami got their runs on a Manny Machado throwing error in the 5th inning and a 2-run single by Jesus Aguilar off reliever Tim Hill in the 7th inning.
The Padres finish their 10-game road trip (well, 9.5) on Sunday with Yu Darvish on the mound.
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