Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez faked out Fernando Tatis Jr. after robbing him of a home run on Tuesday.
Sometimes in sports, you have to keep the opposition on their toes. One way to do so is to fake them out. That is exactly what Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez did on Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres.
With the game knotted at 0-0 in the top of the fourth inning, Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed a pitch from Logan Gilbert to center field. At first glance, it looked as though it just missed the reach of a leaping Rodriguez. The outfielder walked in, seemingly dejected that he had failed to grab the baseball. Then, Rodriguez slyly opened up his glove and sitting in it was the baseball hit by Tatis.
Julio Rodriguez fakes out Fernando Tatis Jr., fans after robbing a home run
"And the Oscar for Best Home Run Robbery goes to…"
Rodriguez acted like the heel wrestler who "punches" their opponent for the pinfall victory, only to reveal after the match and out of the sight of the referee that they had brass knuckles all along.
When the end-of-year highlights are released by MLB, Rodriguez's acting after robbing Tatis of a homer will undoubtedly make the video.
The Mariners entered this game on a roll, winning their last five games, including four against the rival Los Angeles Angels. With that, the Mariners have climbed up the AL Wild Card standings, sitting just three games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final spot. Meanwhile, the Angels, who added the likes of Lucas Giolito and Randal Grichuk, have tumbled down after losing their next six games, starting on Aug. 2. Specifically, they are eight games back.
As for the Padres, they entered Tuesday four games back of the Cincinnati Reds for the last NL Wild Card spot. The problem is, the Wild Card field in the NL is crowded.
Win or lose, the main takeaway from this game will be Rodriguez's incredible robbery and fake-out skills.
