The San — well actually the Slam — Diego Padres garnered national attention this week while making MLB history.
Had to do it to ‘em. pic.twitter.com/r3gobbX0RV
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 21, 2020
They hit a grand slam in four consecutive games, the only team in MLB history to do so. That makes up for them being the only franchise to not throw a no-hitter. This record is cooler.
It all started on Monday night in Texas. The Padres were up 10-3 in the eighth inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped to the plate to face Ian Gibaut with the bases loaded. He forced a 3-0 count, then launched a fastball over the heart of the plate to right center for a grand slam, much to the displeasure of Rangers manager Chris Woodward.
That grand slam was the 21-year-old’s second home run of the game, which gave him the major league lead with 11. It also sparked a national debate about whether or not Tatis broke an “unwritten rule” by swinging at a 3-0 fastball. Even Padres manager Jayce Tingler told the press that Tatis missed a take sign.
But his teammates had his back. And players around the league are calling for Tatis to win MVP. He leads MLB in home runs (12), RBI (29), runs (26), and is tied for the lead in stolen bases with six.
Fellow stars are driving the @tatis_jr hype train. pic.twitter.com/cUAgQKwfzh
— MLB (@MLB) August 20, 2020
Wil Myers hit one on Tuesday, Manny Machado hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning on Wednesday, and Eric Hosmer capped the quartet on Thursday. Tatis also hit for the “Grand Slam” cycle, as he was on base for each of his three teammates’ slams.
We like our plates full. 🍽 pic.twitter.com/vjEaggZuiq
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 21, 2020
The Padres swept the Rangers with two games in Texas and two games in San Diego. They hit walk-offs on Wednesday and Thursday.
This series was uplifting for the Padres because they dropped five in a row in the week prior.
The offense, which averages the second-most runs in MLB, was the story of the week for the Padres. The starting pitching was just as stellar.
Zach Davies was solid in the series opener, allowing three earned runs over five innings with six strikeouts.
Adrian Morejon was the opener on Tuesday. He threw three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Chris Paddack bounced back from his previous start in his outing on Wednesday. He allowed one run over six innings on four hits with six strikeouts.
Dinelson Lamet pitched the final game and allowed two runs in five innings with nine strikeouts. He now boasts a team-best 1.89 ERA.
The Achilles heel of the Padres was also on full display, despite the sweep. The bullpen blew a lead in the final three games but was bailed out by the offense.
Closer Kirby Yates is out after having surgery on Wednesday to remove bone chips from his right elbow and his replacement, Drew Pomeranz, has been sidelined the past few games. Their No. 3 prospect Luis Patiño struggled as well, allowing one earned run and three walks in two innings. The walks are the alarming number for Patiño, he has eight in eight innings pitched this year.
The Padres travel to Houston for a three-game weekend series against the Astros, who have won eight in a row. Game one is tonight at 6:10 PST.
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