PITTSBURGH -- Very rarely does a popup a few feet back behind the infield dirt become a sacrifice fly. But very rarely do players make heads-up plays like Fernando Tatis Jr.

With one out in the first inning of Sunday¡¯s 11-10, 11-inning loss to the Pirates, Tatis stood on third base after Manny Machado ripped a ground-rule double to right. Hunter Renfroe stepped up to the plate next, and he skied a 2-2 offering from Pirates starter Steven Brault to second baseman Kevin Newman.

Newman caught the ball and turned to shortstop Jung Ho Kang after Tatis tagged and jogged a few steps down the third-base line. When Newman clutched as if to start throwing around the horn, the Padres¡¯ rookie phenom blazed home, challenging Newman¡¯s arm.

¡°[I was] just waiting for the moment he sleeps on me,¡± Tatis said, ¡°then I¡¯m gone.¡±

Tatis was initially called out, but he had no doubts. The former No. 1 prospect in all of baseball trotted confidently back to the dugout, getting high-fives all around. The Padres challenged, and video review showed Tatis slid his hand under the tag of catcher Elias Diaz.

¡°He made an aggressive play,¡± Newman said. ¡°He kind of caught me on my heels. Nothing really more to it than that. I¡¯m going to take it as a learning moment and never let that happen again.¡±

It ended up going for naught in a nearly five-hour affair at PNC Park, but manager Andy Green still recognized just how unique that tone-setting play was from his dynamic rookie.

¡°That was a special way to start a baseball game off,¡± Green said. ¡°He¡¯s a special athlete, and he does incredible things.¡±