SAN DIEGO -- Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his second career walk-off home run, as the Padres came from behind for a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Reds on Wednesday afternoon.
Here’s some instant reaction from Petco Park, where the Padres secured their fifth walk-off victory of the season:
With Tatis leading the charge, this offense might be rejuvenated
There have been signs of life from the slumping San Diego offense lately, and nowhere more so than with Tatis. His struggles to start the season were extremely pronounced. It took him 238 plate appearances for his first home run. The wait wasn’t nearly as long for his second.
Tatis is starting to look like himself again. Across his past 20 games, he’s hitting .383 with a .438 on-base percentage. Wednesday’s walk-off offered precisely what the Padres have been looking for from him: pull-side power.
“It’s just belief -- a little bit of belief that what I’m doing is right,” said manager Craig Stammen. “And that, ‘Yeah, I am still Fernando Tatis Jr.’ And he is. He can change a game at any moment.”
Tatis isn’t the only Padre trending in the right direction. Jackson Merrill had a pair of hits and sparked the comeback with a leadoff double in the eighth. And while Manny Machado remains mired in the worst slump of his career, he opened the scoring with an RBI double (plating Merrill).
It’s been said too many times to count: The Padres need their superstars hitting. In the meantime, though, they’re getting major contributions from a newcomer …
Taylor comes up clutch again
The Padres have four game-tying hits in the eighth inning or later this season. Samad Taylor who was called up last week and only made his first start three days ago, already has two of them.
For the second straight game, Taylor delivered a dramatic game-tying single -- this one with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. He’d begun the day 0-for-3, but got a belt-high fastball from Reds reliever Tony Santillan and swatted it into center field to tie the game at 4.
“I’m just keeping a clear mind,” Taylor said. “You could easily get away from yourself. But as long as I keep a clear mind and stick with the guys around me, they keep giving me the boost.”
The Padres, of course, have struggled plenty with runners in scoring position lately. But Taylor is having no such issues. With Ramón Laureano expected to miss the remainder of the season following hip surgery, Taylor’s arrival has been crucial. And he’s making a strong case to continue as the everyday left fielder -- at least for the time being.
Asking for too much from King
The Padres used all four of their high-leverage relievers in each of the first two games against the Reds this week. That left their bullpen extremely thin for Wednesday’s finale. They would need length from Michael King -- and he mostly delivered.
But in the end, San Diego asked a bit too much of him. King limited the Reds to two runs across the first six innings. Manager Craig Stammen sent him back out for the seventh. King retired the first two hitters he faced.
With the dangerous JJ Bleday due up and King sitting on 100 pitches, Stammen let it ride with King. And Bleday launched a hanging changeup into the right-field seats, putting the Reds on top, 3-2. King slumped on the mound, hands on his knees.
It’s hard to fault him too much, though. King didn’t have his best stuff, but he battled all day and was asked for one batter too many. The Padres paid a tax for covering seven innings with their bullpen in Tuesday’s 11-inning loss.
Wagner makes his case
When Xander Bogaerts landed on the paternity list earlier this week, Will Wagner became the third Padre to be promoted from Triple-A El Paso in the last week. It’s only been two games, but Wagner has made a nice case to stick, even when Bogaerts returns, presumably on Friday in Baltimore.
Wagner has come to the plate six times, and he’s reached base in five of them -- including Wednesday afternoon when he went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk.
“It reminds me of Jake Cronenworth, those at-bats that we’ve missed from Jake -- just the professional, consistent at-bat,” Stammen said. “He definitely, in two days, has impressed us greatly. Not that we didn’t know this before. He just didn’t have as much of an opportunity. But he’s going to get some more opportunities going forward.”
A year ago, Wagner arrived during the Padres’ Trade Deadline frenzy (in perhaps the least-heralded move on a day full of blockbusters). He made a couple cameos with the big league club but never established a rhythm.
This time, there’s certainly more opportunity available. With Cronenworth on the IL and Sung-Mun Song struggling, there’s an opening at second base. The Padres are also short on lefty bats, and could definitely use one coming off their bench.
If, indeed, Bogaerts returns in Baltimore, the Padres will have a decision to make, and I’d size it up thusly: It’s Wagner, Song and Jase Bowen for only two spots.