Trending Now - Tatis Jr. Finally Hits First Home Run of the Season
WHO:
NY Post - Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres, Craig Stammen (Padres manager), Foster Griffin (Nationals starter)
MLB.com - Lucas Giolito (Padres pitcher), Jackson Merrill (Padres player), Bob Henley (Padres third base coach), Randy Knorr (Padres bench coach), Steven Souza Jr. (Padres hitting coach)
WHAT:
San Diego Union-Tribune - Tatis' home run was the longest by a Padres player this season and the longest by Tatis since 2021.
San Diego Union-Tribune - Tatis' home run on his 239th trip to the plate in 2026 ended the longest homerless streak of any player in the league this season.
MLB.com - Tatis' 55 homerless games to start the season are the second-most ever by a player who had previously hit 40-plus home runs in a season, behind only Carl Yastrzemski's 57-game drought in 1972.
MLB.com - Tatis had hit 152 home runs in 2,808 career at-bats before the game.
MLB.com - Tatis' expected total for home runs in 2026, based on his career rate, would be 11.
MLB.com - Lucas Giolito allowed four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings during his start for the Padres, with a fastball velocity topping out at 91.8 mph.
MLB.com - Giolito stated, “Just terrible. The stuff we’ve been trying to work on is not taking hold at game speed. …It’s not viable to have short outings like this.”
San Diego Union-Tribune - Tatis stated, “About (expletive) time” after hitting his first home run of the season.
San Diego Union-Tribune - Tatis hit his first home run of the season on his 239th trip to the plate in 2026.
San Diego Union-Tribune - Tatis' home run was the longest by a Padres player this season and the longest by Tatis since 2021.
San Diego Union-Tribune - The Padres lost 9-4 after Tatis' home run, with Michael King allowing six runs in the seventh inning.
San Diego Union-Tribune - Craig Stammen was ejected for the first time during the game against the Nationals.
Fox News - Tatis ended his 55-game homerless streak with a 451-foot blast against the Nationals, marking his first homer since September 27 last season.
MLB.com - Tatis' home run was hit on a 1-0 pitch from Nationals starter Foster Griffin.
MLB.com - Tatis' home run traveled a Statcast-projected distance of 451 feet.
MLB.com - Tatis had 207 at-bats before hitting his first home run of the season.
NY Post - Tatis stated, “About f–king time” after hitting his first home run of the season.
MLB.com - Tatis' home run was his first since the previous season, ending a drought that lasted nearly two months.
MLB.com - Tatis' home run on Saturday was also his longest since September 30, 2021, when he hit a 467-foot blast.
MLB.com - Tatis had been trending in the right direction, hitting .480 in his last seven games before hitting his first home run of the season.
MLB.com - Tatis' expected total for home runs in 2026, based on his career rate, would be 11.
MLB.com - Lucas Giolito allowed four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings during his start for the Padres, with a fastball velocity topping out at 91.8 mph.
MLB.com - Giolito stated, “Just terrible. The stuff we’ve been trying to work on is not taking hold at game speed. …It’s not viable to have short outings like this.”
NY Post - Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first home run of the season after nearly two months.
MLB.com - Tatis hit a 1-0 pitch for a home run that traveled a Statcast-projected 451 feet.
MLB.com - Tatis went 207 at-bats before hitting his first home run of the season.
MLB.com - Tatis’ 55 homerless games to start the season are the second-most ever by a player who had previously hit 40-plus home runs in a season.
MLB.com - Tatis had hit 152 home runs in 2,808 career at-bats before the game.
MLB.com - Tatis' home run was his longest since September 30, 2021, when he hit a 467-foot blast.
MLB.com - San Diego Padres entered the game eight games over .500.
WHERE:
NY Post - Nationals Park, Washington
MLB.com - Nationals Park, Washington
WHEN:
MLB.com - Tatis hit his first home run of the season on a Saturday afternoon.
WHY:
MLB.com - Craig Stammen stated that Tatis' approach involved focusing on playing baseball rather than trying to hit home runs, resulting in a freer version of Tatis at the plate.
MLB.com - Craig Stammen mentioned that Tatis' process involved not trying to hit a home run and focusing on playing baseball, resulting in a freer version of Tatis at the plate.
MLB.com - Craig Stammen mentioned that he never imagined returning to Nationals Park in his current position as manager of the Padres.
MLB.com - Craig Stammen stated that Tatis' process involved not trying to hit a home run and focusing on playing baseball.
HOW:
MLB.com - The Padres bullpen allowed just one run across 6 1/3 innings during the game against the Nationals.
MLB.com - Tatis faked a bunt on the first pitch before hitting the home run.
(UPDATED May 31, 2026 23:15 UTC)
In a significant moment for the San Diego Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first home run of the season, ending a lengthy homerless streak that had reached 55 games, the second-longest for a player who previously hit over 40 home runs in a season. Tatis expressed his relief with the words, “About (expletive) time,” as his homer marked the longest by a Padres player this season and his first since 2021. Meanwhile, Lucas Giolito struggled on the mound, allowing four earned runs in just 2 and 2/3 innings, admitting that his performance was “just terrible” and that the adjustments he’s been trying to make aren’t translating to game speed.
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(UPDATED May 31, 2026 17:17 UTC)
In a notable moment for the San Diego Padres, Tatis hit his first home run of the season during his 239th trip to the plate, marking the longest home run by a Padres player this season and his longest since 2021. Unfortunately for the team, they lost the game 9 to 4, with Michael King allowing six runs in the seventh inning. Additionally, Craig Stammen was ejected for the first time during the game against the Nationals.
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(UPDATED May 31, 2026 13:19 UTC)
In a thrilling moment for baseball fans, Tatis ended his 55-game homerless streak with a stunning 451-foot home run against the Nationals, marking his first long ball since September 27 of last season. The home run came on a 1-0 pitch from Nationals starter Foster Griffin, after Tatis had 207 at-bats this season without a homer. According to Craig Stammen, Tatis focused on playing the game rather than chasing home runs, which allowed him to approach the plate with a freer mindset.
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(UPDATED May 31, 2026 08:01 UTC)
In an exciting moment for fans, Tatis celebrated his first home run of the season by exclaiming, “About f–king time,” marking the end of a nearly two-month drought since his last home run. This impressive shot was also his longest since September 30, 2021, when he launched a massive 467-foot blast. According to Craig Stammen, Tatis found success by shifting his focus away from trying to hit home runs and simply concentrating on playing baseball, which led to a more relaxed approach at the plate.
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(UPDATED May 31, 2026 06:18 UTC)
In a significant moment for the Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first home run of the season after an impressive stretch, batting .480 over his last seven games, with an expected total of 11 home runs for 2026 based on his career rate. Meanwhile, Lucas Giolito struggled on the mound, allowing four earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings and expressing frustration with his performance, stating, “Just terrible. The stuff we’ve been trying to work on is not taking hold at game speed.” On a brighter note, the Padres bullpen showcased resilience, allowing only one run across 6 1/3 innings during the game against the Nationals, while manager Craig Stammen reflected on his unexpected return to Nationals Park in his current role.
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(UPDATED May 31, 2026 04:18 UTC)
In a thrilling moment at Nationals Park, Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres hit his first home run of the season after an impressive 207 at-bats, launching a 1-0 pitch an astonishing 451 feet. This home run, which came on a Saturday afternoon, marked Tatis' longest since a 467-foot blast in September 2021, and it also highlighted his struggle, as he had gone 55 games without a homer, the second-most ever for a player with over 40 career home runs. Padres manager Craig Stammen noted that Tatis focused on playing baseball rather than trying to hit a home run, a strategy that clearly paid off in this exciting game.