The Texas Rangers think Fernando Tatis Jr. should have looked for a walk instead of a Grand Slam in the eighth inning on Monday night.
Tatis Jr. came eighth with his San Diego Padres 10-3 against the Rangers on the plate. After working 3-0 against Juan Nicasio, Tatis swung himself into fourth place and hit the baseball over the right center wall to give Padres a 14-3 lead.
The Rangers were apparently unhappy that they’d given up on a grand slam. And unhappy that the 21-year-old Tatis had the courage to count to seven with his team. It was his 11th homer of the season.
“I think there are a lot of unwritten rules that are constantly being challenged in today’s game,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said at his post-game press conference. “Yes, I personally didn’t like it. In the eighth inning, you got up at seven o’clock – it’s usually not a good time to swing 3-0. That’s how we all grew up in the game. But as I said, the norms are being challenged every day. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not right. I don’t think we liked it as a group. “
That aversion was clear after Tatis’ home run. Nicasio was replaced by Ian Gibaut and Gibaut immediately threw a pitch behind Manny Machado.
Tatis missed a take sign?
Tatis was apparently told not to swing in this seat by Nicasio, but the Rangers seem to believe that Tatis didn’t need a take sign in order not to swing.
“I’ve been into this game since I was a kid and I know a lot of unwritten rules,” said Tatis. “But this time I haven’t.”
Padres manager Jayce Tingler said after the game that Tatis had actually received a sign to take over this field as the Padres had seven runs at the time.
“Just to make sure we get the mark 3-0 in this game,” Tingler said after the game of what he told Tatis. “Just to make sure and he’s young, a free mind and focused and all of these things and that’s the last thing we’ll ever take away.” It’s a learning opportunity and it is and it will grow from it. “
Tatis said Tingler told him the take sign was on after he returned to the dugout.
“He told me I got the sign to take a seat and I immediately told him it was up to me, I didn’t look in,” said Tatis.
The Grand Slam gave Tatis sole ownership of the MLB home run after Angels Mike Trout hit his 10th home run early that evening. Tatis, who knocked in seven runs on Monday evening, also has the MLB lead with 28 RBI. Though the Rangers would certainly argue with three of them. They would have much preferred Tatis to have taken a walk to run a run in.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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