WASHINGTON
Fernando Tatis Jr. ended a 55-game homerless streak Saturday, connecting on a 1-0 pitch from Nationals starter Foster Griffin for a 451-foot blast to deep left field at Nationals Park. The Padres lost 9-4.
Tatis faked a bunt on the first offering before launching the home run on a gusty afternoon. The drought ranks as the second-longest ever by a player with 40-plus career home runs in a season. Only Carl Yastrzemski went longer, with a 57-game drought in 1972.
"I just knew right away," Tatis said. "About time."
The 451-foot shot was his longest since Sept. 30, 2021, when he hit a 467-foot blast. Before Saturday, Tatis carried 152 career home runs across 2,808 at-bats—one every 18.5 at-bats. He batted.480 in his previous seven games.
Padres manager Craig Stammen, ejected in the seventh inning, saw the breakthrough as relief for the team. "He's been carrying that burden, the team has been carrying that burden," Stammen said. "He finally got it. It was a good celebration in the dugout. It's what baseball is all about, acting like little 10-year-olds."
Tatis leads the Padres with a 41.6 percent first-pitch swinging percentage. He ranks second in the majors with a 1.214 OPS with runners in scoring position, behind Juan Soto's 1.265. His OPS with runners in scoring position and two outs stands at 1.583.
Padres teammate Xander Bogaerts acknowledged the weight lifted. "I bet he will sleep a little better tonight knowing he has a one," Bogaerts said. "He has a lot in his career, but it's different. Him, everyone—his family, baseball people—know what the deal is for him. Everyone knows he has zero. So I think getting that kind of pressure off his back is nice."
San Diego remains seven games over.500, though other key players struggle. Manny Machado carries a.632 OPS and center fielder Jackson Merrill a.601 OPS.
