With sweet bat drop, Tatis ties for HR lead
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Mike Trout didn't have sole possession of the big league home run lead for very long.
Fernando Tatis Jr. launched an opposite-field two-run blast in the seventh inning of the Padres' 5-3 victory in Oakland on Sunday afternoon, his 15th of the season, tying Trout.
Tatis' 15 blasts are tied for the most by any player 21 years old or younger in his team's first 42 games of a season. Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews also accomplished the feat in 1953.
After a pitching change, Tatis teed off on the first pitch from A's right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, an 86 mph cutter off the outside corner. He sent it a projected 394 feet to right field with a 103.4 mph exit velocity.
¡°If you weren¡¯t to watch the swing and you just saw the ball flight, you¡¯d think a left-handed power hitter pulled it to right field, right-center,¡± said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. ¡°For him to do it to the right side -- we¡¯ve seen him do it a couple times this year. It¡¯s special when you¡¯re able to go oppo and off the bat, you know it¡¯s gone.¡±
Safe to say Tatis knew. After his follow-through, Tatis executed a world-class bat drop before breaking into his home run trot.
His post-home-run celebrations are becoming something of an art form. These days, he's getting plenty of practice.