MLB.com is keeping track of a Stat of the Day for the Padres this season, highlighting a unique, interesting or fun nugget from each game.
July 6: Padres 7, Nationals 4 — Tatis fires a bullet to home
Fernando Tatis Jr. has some ridiculous tools, and that includes his outstanding arm. With one out in the second inning, Yan Gomes hit what looked destined to be an RBI double into the left-field corner. But Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar delivered a strike to Tatis, whose relay throw was perfect — and it was an absolute missile. At 95.8 mph, Tatis’ relay throw was the hardest throw by an infielder this season on a play that resulted in an out.
July 5: Nationals 7, Padres 5 — Nando tops himself with homer
Fernando Tatis Jr. hits the ball hard. But he’d never hit the ball this hard. Facing Washington’s Jon Lester in the fourth inning, Tatis sent a 116 mph missile off the Western Metal Supply Co. building. It was the hardest-hit ball of Tatis’ career, checking in one-tenth of a mile per hour harder than his home run off Clayton Kershaw in April.
July 4: Padres 11, Phillies 1 — Don’t pitch to Manny
Manny Machado homered in each of his first two at-bats on Sunday afternoon, before earning a pair of intentional walks in his next two trips to the plate. (He was unintentionally walked in the ninth, though it was clear the Phillies wanted no part of him.) Machado became just the third player in Padres history to record two homers and two intentional walks in the same game — joining Brian Giles (Aug. 12, 2007) and Phil Plantier (July 30, 1993).
July 3: Phillies 4, Padres 2 — Water falling from the sky?
On their current road trip through Cincinnati and Philadelphia, the Padres have endured six rain delays, totaling six hours and 39 minutes. Safe to say the Friars aren’t all that accustomed to such delays. In 18 seasons since Petco Park opened in 2004, the downtown San Diego ballpark has experienced a total of six rain delays (not including postponements).
July 2: Phillies 4, Padres 3 (10 innings) — Different city, same outcome
San Diego endured its second walk-off loss in as many nights. The Padres hadn’t lost games on consecutive days via walk-off since dropping two straight to the Dodgers on May 1-2, 2009. They had never been walked off on consecutive days in different cities.
July 1: Reds 5, Padres 4 — Pham makes the most of AB
Tommy Pham has hit safely in 15 of his past 18 games, batting .406 (26-for-64) with six doubles and five home runs. Pham entered the series finale as a pinch-hitter and had a two-run single.