On Wednesday, San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. stole home to give his team a crucial extra run in a close game.
The Friars ended up winning, 5-2, in part thanks to Tatis’ big bag of tricks.
In this case, it wasn’t his considerable power or his huge arm.
No, it was his amazing speed and even better instincts.
Tatis took advantage of the fact that a left-hander was on the mound.
A throw to third base would involve a much greater effort and take more time, so he took a big lead.
That lead eventually covered more than a third of the trajectory, and then turned into a jog and a dash towards home.
All of this happened while the pitcher, Cionel Perez, hadn’t even noticed the situation.
When he became aware that the runner was actually stealing home, it was too late: there wasn’t even a throw.
Tatis, literally, stole the bag from him.
Manager Bob Melvin spoke about the play after the game.
“’I kid with him that he’s a witch and he rides his broom around the bases,’ Bob Melvin said of Fernando Tatis Jr.,” Padres insider Dennis Lin tweeted, with quotes from the skipper.
“I kid with him that he’s a witch and he rides his broom around the bases,” Bob Melvin said of Fernando Tatis Jr.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) August 17, 2023
Indeed, with the way he runs, it seems like he is gliding over the bases.
You could say that the way Ken Griffey Jr.’s swing looked like in the 90s and 2000s is what Tatis looks like when he is running around the bases.
He is very fast, but he is elegant and stylish.
The most important thing of all is that he is effective, and he finds ways to help the Padres win with his legs.
NEXT: Fernando Tatis Jr. Caught The Orioles Completely Off Guard
