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The San Diego Padres are in the middle of a tightly contested National League playoff race, and Tuesday night’s thriller at Petco Park showed just how vital elite defense can be. With the Padres clinging to a 1-0 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Fernando Tatis Jr. delivered one of the season’s most electrifying highlights — an unreal home run robbery that preserved the shutout and sealed the win.
In the eighth inning, former Padres outfielder Josh Naylor sent a deep drive toward right field that looked destined to tie the game. But Tatis Jr. had other plans. The San Diego star tracked the ball, timed his leap perfectly, and stole a potential game-tying homer from Naylor in dramatic fashion.
The play wasn’t just spectacular — it was symbolic. Naylor, a 2024 All-Star, was originally drafted by the Padres before being dealt in 2020. Facing his old team, he nearly became the hero — until Tatis Jr. turned the script upside down.
Fernando Tatis Jr. with the HR ROBBERY 🚫pic.twitter.com/pxTws6uXfk
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 9, 2025
The robbery came just three innings after another incredible defensive play. Rookie Jackson Merrill, patrolling center field, robbed Corbin Carroll of a two-run shot with a leaping grab at the fence. Both Tatis and Merrill, converted shortstops, put on a defensive clinic that defined the evening.
Luis Arraez, the three-time batting champ, accounted for the game’s only run with a solo homer in the seventh. On a night when offense was scarce, with San Diego collecting four hits and Arizona just three, Arraez’s homer and a pair of spectacular outfield plays proved to be the difference.
Starter Nick Pivetta danced through danger, escaping a fourth-inning jam after loading the bases. Adrian Morejon followed up with a critical strikeout to end a threat in the seventh. All-Star closer Robert Suarez sealed the victory in the ninth, notching his league-leading 26th save.
The win kept the Padres firmly in the postseason conversation. Now 49-42, San Diego sits just one game behind the final Wild Card spot, trailing the San Francisco Giants and other contenders. With division rival Arizona breathing down their necks, every moment matters — and Tatis Jr.’s incredible grab might be the momentum swing this team needed.
