More than a big bat: Tatis dazzles on defense
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SAN DIEGO -- On Thursday, he did it with his bat. (Then he tossed that bat aside.) But Fernando Tatis Jr. is so much more than just his bat.
In the Padres' 4-0 win over the Cardinals in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series, Tatis put his elite glovework on full display with a pair of dazzling defensive gems.
| Game | Date | Matchup | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Sept. 30 | STL 7, SD 4 | Watch |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 1 | SD 11, STL 9 | Watch |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 2 | SD 4, STL 0 | Watch |
Shop for postseason gear: “He's a just dynamic player,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler.
With one out and a man on first base in the third inning, Kolten Wong bounced a chopper back to the mound. Padres reliever Tim Hill fielded and threw a little wide to second base, where Tatis was covering.
Harrison Bader slid hard into Tatis, who acrobatically managed to avoid Bader while stretching to make the catch and keeping his foot on the bag. Bader maintained Tatis' foot left the bag, but replays quickly showed yet another matrix-esque maneuver by Tatis to avoid the hard-sliding Cardinal.
“Important for him to be there on time and be there early, so he can make an athletic play,” Tingler said. “Since he was on time, and he was ready, he's able to make that play. A lot of shortstops maybe [are] not able to make that play.”
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Tatis followed that by ending the eighth inning with a diving grab to rob Paul DeJong on a knuckling liner.
It was the latest example of Tatis' spectacular glove. He's made several dazzling plays this season. He's been sure-handed on the routine plays, too -- a stark contrast from his 2019 rookie season. As a result, Tatis finished tied for first in the Majors with seven Outs Above Average, according to Statcast.
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Tatis also made a strong defensive play in the first inning with a backhanded snare and throw to rob Tommy Edman of an infield hit. In Game 2 on Thursday, he became the third-youngest player with two home runs in a playoff game.
A five-tool player in every sense. What can’t he do?