Fernando Tatis Jr. made a strong statement on Tuesday night, asserting that Petco Park is not only his workplace but also his home. He quickly showcased this in the bottom of the first inning, helping the San Diego Padres score and contributing to their 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the wild-card round.
After Luis Arraez’s single, Tatis faced Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver and launched a fastball on the first pitch, sending it soaring into the left field seats for a home run. As the crowd erupted, Tatis celebrated the moment, shouting out in excitement. “This is my house!”
The homer energized the Padres and provided starting pitcher Michael King with an early lead, as he struck out 12 batters and shut out Atlanta over seven innings to secure the win. This marks just Tatis’s second experience in postseason play; the team missed the playoffs in 2019, 2021, and 2023, and exited in the National League Division Series in 2020. In 2022, the Padres made their deepest run since Tatis joined, reaching the NLCS, but he missed that entire postseason due to a performance-enhancing drug suspension.
Despite his limited postseason experience, Tatis is confident that he’s made for October.
“It’s beautiful energy,” Tatis said. “I love this type of situation. It definitely brings the best out of me. And just looking forward to way more experiences like this.”
He and the Padres will take on the Braves in Game 2 on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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