Fernando Tatis Jr. saves Padres with 9th Inning Walk-Off Homer
Fernando Ramirez
Host · Writer
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Fernando Tatis Jr. was facing a 2-1 count in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied 4-4. Chase Petty threw him a slider, and Tatis Jr. drove it toward left field.
Did he know right away?
“No,” Tatis said immediately when asked.
Tatis Jr. started running toward first thinking, "You better get on second," but then noticed the Padres dugout going crazy. He looked toward the outfield and saw left fielder JJ Bleday had given up on the ball. It had cleared the fence for a walk-off home run to give the Padres the 5-4 victory.
As Tatis Jr. came down the line to touch home plate, he paused and danced his way home, surrounded by teammates who immediately hugged and celebrated with him.
“We have been grinding together,” Tatis Jr. said. “About time we got a serious win, and doing that way. In that fashion, it's definitely special.”
David Frerker-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebates with teammates after hitting a walk-off homerun against the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park.
Tatis Jr.'s walk-off secured its first series victory since May 17 against the Seattle Mariners.
Has El Niño returned for good, or just for Wednesday?
Padres third baseman Manny Machado told reporters as they spoke with Tatis Jr. after the game, “it’s called trending.” Tatis Jr. laughed and replied, “that too.”
Machado may not be wrong.
Over his last 15 games, Tatis Jr. is hitting .381 with two home runs. This could be a turning point for him.
“No secret sauce,” Tatis said of his recent success. “A lot of hard work with the hitting coaches out there. I know it hasn’t been looking pretty, but we're sticking together as a group. We're finding a way, and that’s what matters.”
His second home run of the season came at a crucial moment. The Padres entered Wednesday's game coming off a tough extra-inning loss to the Reds the night before.
“A little bit of belief,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “Like what I'm doing is right and what I've been doing is right, in that, yeah, ‘I am still Fernando Tatis Jr’ and he is. He can change a game at any moment, and he had some big hits today that helped us win the game.”
Looking back further, just a month ago these same Padres were in first place in the NL West and had just beaten the Dodgers 1-0. Since then, they have lost 14 games while winning only six but Wednesday's victory could be a turning point.
“It was not easy, but we keep building that momentum,” Tatis Jr. said. “We know we have it. We have been in tough places, and we're finding a way how to get out of this.”
Wednesday wasn’t entirely positive for the Padres. They found themselves in difficult situations throughout the game, and at one point it looked as though they might head into a nine-game road trip with another ugly loss.
The low-scoring offensive performances lately have not been sustainable, especially because they put pressure on the starting pitchers and relievers to be nearly perfect. Michael King wasn’t on Wednesday afternoon.
It was another rough outing for King, who allowed seven hits and three earned runs while striking out only three over 6 2/3 innings.
The Padres struck first. After a Tatis Jr. strikeout, Jackson Merrill singled to left field. Machado, who has faced scrutiny lately for his production at the plate, doubled to left, allowing Merrill to score all the way from first for a 1-0 lead.
Will Wagner then hit a blooper into center field that neither the infield nor outfield could reach. Machado got a late jump and tried to score from second rather than stopping at third, but Reds catcher PJ Higgins tagged him out at the plate.
Things got rough for King in the top of the fourth inning. King started by walking Bleday. After a Sal Stewart groundout, Spencer Steer hammered his 10th home run of the season to left field for a 2-1 Cincinnati lead.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Rodolfo Durán got things going with a double to left field after Bryce Johnson struck out. The hit put a runner in scoring position, something the Padres have struggled to do lately. Tatis Jr. then singled to right field to bring Durán home and tie the game at 2-2.
“He's done a great job staying positive and smiling and being okay with failing sometimes, but I think his perseverance has showed here lately,” Stammen said.
The Padres starting pitcher nearly escaped the seventh inning unscathed, but with two outs, Bleday launched his second pitch of the at-bat over the right-field fence for his 11th home run of the season, giving Cincinnati a 3-2 lead.
King had allowed only four home runs through his first 10 starts this season. More recently, however, he has surrendered a home run in each of his last four starts, totaling six homers during that span.
“Bad, but just another battle,” King said. “Bad pitch to Steer for the homer, bad pitch to Bleday for the homer. We keep them off balance a little bit throughout the throughout the game, but still working. We’ll get there.”
Padres reliever Ron Marinaccio got the team out of the seventh inning but ran into trouble in the eighth. Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez took Marinaccio’s cutter deep to left field for a home run. Suárez’s fifth homer of the season provided Cincinnati with what looked like valuable insurance at 4-2.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Padres offense finally showed some life. Merrill opened the inning with a double to left field and advanced to third on a Machado flyout. Gavin Sheets then doubled to bring Merrill home and cut the deficit to 4-3.
David Frerker-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park.
Jase Bowen entered as a pinch-runner for Sheets, which proved to be a strategic move. Samad Taylor followed with a single to left field, bringing Bowen home to tie the game at 4-4.
Taylor has been a valuable call-up for the Padres. He is hitting .461 and has delivered multiple clutch hits and key defensive plays over the last four games.
“Like I was telling guys, I’m just riding the high as long as I can,” Taylor said. “That's it.”
After the game was tied, it was Tatis Jr. who delivered the final blow. If he can regain his 2024 form, he could help carry a Padres team that needs offensive production while players like Merrill and Machado continue working through their own struggles.
“Hopefully we all start turning the right direction this offense,” Gavin Sheets said. “It's been tough, it's been a struggle. It's been frustrating for all of us, but we're in it together.”
The Padres will have Thursday off before traveling to Baltimore for a three-game series against the Orioles beginning Friday, June 12, at 1:05 p.m. PT. Griffin Canning (0-4) is scheduled to take the mound.
