Oracle Park is a challenging place to hit—not just for Giants players, but for visiting teams too. On Thursday, Fernando Tatis Jr. let loose with a bat flip, thinking he had crushed a home run, only to see the ball turn into a long out to center field.
San Diego Padres star hilariously got fooled by Oracle Park against SF Giants
NBC Sports Bay Area caught the moment Fernando Tatis Jr. flipped his bat, thinking he had launched a go-ahead two-run homer—only to be left stunned when the ball stayed in the park. The footage even shows the disbelief on his face as he struggles to comprehend how the ball didn’t clear the fence.
Fernando Tatis Jr.’s deep flyout was a heartbreaker for the Padres. The ball rocketed off his bat at 108.0 MPH with a 23-degree launch angle, traveling 396 feet before falling just short of the center-field wall. According to Baseball Savant, it would have been a home run in 12 other MLB parks—though not in Petco Park, and certainly not in Oracle Park.
Giants fans are all too familiar with that look of disbelief. For years, hitters have assumed they’d crushed a home run, only to watch the ball die at the warning track in San Francisco’s notoriously pitcher-friendly park. Hitting is hard enough without having to battle the vast outfield of Oracle Park.
Tatis’s near-miss came at a critical moment. Robbie Ray had just wrapped up seven strong innings, limiting the Padres to two earned runs. Reliever Randy RodrÃguez was called on to protect the Giants’ narrow 3-2 lead and nearly lost it with one swing from Tatis—but ultimately got the out that mattered.
RodrÃguez then handed things off to Camilo Doval, who locked down the save and helped the Giants salvage a series split. After dropping the first two games to their division rivals—and making some notable roster changes—the Giants rallied to win the final two. Key contributions came from newcomers like Dominic Smith and Daniel Johnson, and as always, the dimensions of Oracle Park played their part, even in the daylight.
