Tatis misses – Fernando Tatis Jr. can’t believe he missed Miguel Rojas’ pitch in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 15-3 blowout win over the Padres on Friday. With San Diego down big after a nine-run sixth, Tatis struck out and grounded out, capping a night that also included
Friday night was supposed to be about momentum for the Padres—at least on paper. San Diego entered the game in a resurgent stretch, with Fernando Tatis Jr. putting together a strong June that has included nine doubles and a .323/.359/.479/.838 line. But when Los Angeles rolled into its own groove, one moment kept snapping back in Tatis’ mind.
In the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 15-3 win over the Padres. San Diego’s frustration met a pitch that looked reachable—then vanished. After manager Dave Roberts had already turned the game into a bullpen showcase. he sent veteran infielder Miguel Rojas out for the final frame. Tatis stared at the delivery and couldn’t stay with it, whiffing as the at-bat slipped away.
The whiff came after the Dodgers had already flipped the scoreboard from manageable to crushing. Los Angeles broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning and then pushed the game out of reach with a nine-run explosion. With the margin safely in hand. Roberts had room to rest his leverage arms and let the endgame unfold at his pace.
For Tatis, the chance wasn’t just any chance—it was a sure opportunity for extra bases that he said, by his reaction, he simply couldn’t believe he missed. He then grounded out, beginning what became a routine 1-2-3 finish for the Dodgers in the ninth.
The night didn’t belong only to Tatis’ mistake. Young Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing also had his own moment that underscored how chaotic the afternoon had become. Rushing. who appeared to be turning around his rough week after smashing a 399-foot home run in the sixth. was hit in the thigh/groin area by a pitch. The situation was uncomfortable. but there was an expectation that Rushing would be doing better than Tatis—at least in terms of how quickly the emotional hit would be forgotten.
Tatis’ season story still carries positives, even with Friday’s sour ending. The 27-year-old right fielder and second baseman remains a productive bat: his right-handed numbers stand at .284 with a .346 on-base percentage. .368 slugging percentage and .714 OPS. He also has nine doubles in his resurgent June. a reminder that the swing isn’t gone—just not matching his earlier power output.
One part of the frustration is clear: home runs. Tatis has not been posting the home-run volume he’s been accustomed to during his career. The two-time Silver Slugger has not shown the same pre-PEDs power swing, and yet his long-term baseline still matters. He has belted 71 home runs in his previous three seasons combined. but if he wants to reach the 20-mark this year. he’ll need to do more than just keep things steady.
San Diego doesn’t have to panic over one night, even if it feels personal when it ends with a whiff at the plate. The Padres are 43-38, and they’ll head into Sunday’s rubber match against the Dodgers, who are 53-30.
For Tatis, though, Friday’s lesson will likely linger until the next at-bat—because in a game already decided by the sixth-inning nine-run surge, the moment he missed from Miguel Rojas was the one he couldn’t walk away from.
Fernando Tatis Jr Miguel Rojas Dalton Rushing Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres MLB 15-3 June resurgent nine-run sixth 399-foot home run
Tatis really whiffed that badly?? Dang.
Okay but it was already 15-3, why is everyone acting like one pitch is the whole story. Still tho, if he thought it was hittable and missed… rough.
I swear the Dodgers always do this, like they wait til the 9th to show up. Also Roberts putting Rojas in makes no sense to me, like why not a closer? Then Tatis misses and everyone loses their mind. That momentum thing got jacked.
Sounds like one of those games where the Padres thought they were back and then it was just over. Tatis had a good June, 9 doubles and all that, so of course the one time the pitcher “looked reachable” he missed. I’m not even sure I understand the inning situation bc the article keeps jumping around, but 15-3 is still 15-3. Oof.