The San Diego Padres offense has struggled with power all season, ranking among baseball’s worst home run teams. But recent production from key sluggers is helping turn things around.
After striking out four times in Friday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies, Fernando Tatis Jr. knew he needed help. So he picked up the phone.
Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune shared the story behind Tatis’s Saturday morning phone call – one that sparked an offensive turnaround and helped the Padres secure a series win.
The call went to his father, Fernando Tatis Sr., who played from 1997 to 2010 and posted a solid .785 OPS during his big league career. When your dad’s a former major leaguer, you use that resource.
“I picked his brain. There was some good back and forth.”
The advice worked. Tatis Jr. went 5-for-7 over the final two games with five runs scored, one homer, two RBIs, one stolen base and two walks. Zero strikeouts.
That’s exactly what the Padres need right now. They’re sitting 2.5 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West, but the Dodgers don’t have an easy finish. Philadelphia, San Francisco and Arizona are all on their remaining schedule before closing with Seattle.
Having Tatis return to form for the stretch run would be huge. The Padres are in striking distance of their first NL West title in nearly 20 years.
This Rockies series showed just how resilient Tatis can be. After that ugly Friday performance, he bounced back in a major way to help close out the series strong.
He’s hitting .264 with an .804 OPS this season – another solid year, especially considering the home run drought he went through mid-season.
Not many athletes have the luxury of calling up a former big leaguer for hitting advice. Tatis used that connection perfectly when he needed it most.
The way I see it, that’s the kind of resource that can make a difference down the stretch. One phone call turned a frustrating Friday into a series-winning weekend.
