San Diego Padres: Like father, almost like son
Back on April 23, 1999, Fernando Tatis set a record that will never be broken. The St. Louis Cardinals slugger belted two grand slams in the same inning, both coming against Chan Ho Park at Dodger Stadium. That type of offensive display is likely to never be seen again, making it one of the more impressive feats in baseball history.
On Friday, 22 years to the day, another Tatis did his part to put together an impressive inning on the power front. San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. found himself at Dodger Stadium, facing Clayton Kershaw.
San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. channels his father
Tatis was not able to match his father’s accomplishments by slugging two grand slams in the same inning. However, he did blast two homers against Kershaw, as the father and son became the first pair to have a multi-homer game on the same day on the calendar at the same ballpark.
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The firsts did not stop there. Father and son also became the first two players in the history of Dodger Stadium to have a two home run game on that specific day. Considering the Padres’ budding rivalry with the Dodgers, and their quest to take home the NL West crown, those homers could not have come at a better time.
The same could be said for the younger Tatis on a personal note. He had been struggling prior to Friday night’s game, posting a .163/.265/.326 batting line in 43 plate appearances. He had hit two homers in that span, but also struck out 16 times and had spent time on the Injured List. He needed a game like that to break out of his slump.
The Padres have to hope that he is ready to be himself once again. Tatis has become one of the bright young stars in the game, a player that San Diego has committed to building around. While they have a vastly improved roster, Tatis needs to be healthy and at his typical form in order for the Padres to take a run at the division. That may finally be the case.
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April 23 is a special day for the Tatis family. San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. honored his father with his own two homer game on Friday night.