No Angels in the Outfield: How Fernando Tatís Jr. & Co. Turned NLDS Against Dodgers

LOS ANGELES – Before 21-year-old Jackson Merrill took the league by storm and 31-year-old Jurickson Profar put together the best season of his 11-year career, there was uncertainty at the position group.

When the Padres reported to Arizona this spring, no one knew who would join Fernando Tatís Jr. in the outfield. After trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham in December, José Azocar was the only other outfielder on the 40-man roster who would not make it through the 2024 season with the franchise.

It turns out that all it took to assemble one of Major League Baseball's most productive position groups was a $1 million free agent flyer and a top infield prospect.

Profar had a career year, finishing seventh in the majors in on-base percentage. Merrill dazzled with his move from shortstop to center field, leading all major league rookies in FanGraphs wins above replacement. And Tatís was starring, leading an unheralded outfield group that had suddenly transformed from restless to unstoppable.

On Sunday, the trio's mix of clutch hits and slick web gems even helped the Padres win the National League Division Series as they defeated the Dodgers 10-2, which was late on both the scoreboard and in the stands ended.

“Wild,” said Tatís. “Oh man, it’s definitely wild out here. But at the same time, it’s a good environment for baseball, even if people get a little carried away with their emotions.”

The answers to the Padres' outfield questions came just before Opening Day.

In February, they brought back Profar, the former standout who had been a slightly below-league-average hitter in his first 10 seasons. The answer in the middle came internally in March when Merrill, then a 20-year-old shortstop who had never played above Double-A or in center field at any point in his professional career, won the contest.

In a stunning development, all three became All-Stars. And in Game 2 of the NLDS, all three starred.

Profar, Tatís and Merrill combined for eight hits, three home runs and a series of spectacular catches that drew the ire, anger and attention of 54,119 fans on a tumultuous evening at Dodger Stadium that ended with fans throwing objects into the outfield pitched and visited the bullpen.

“What I found was a bunch of guys showed up in front of a big, hostile crowd with things being thrown at them and said, 'We're going to talk to our piece, we're not going to back down.' down,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said: “'We're going to step up our game, we're going to be together and we're going to take care of business.'”

At some point in the seventh inning, baseballs, beer cans and debris were hurled from the pavilions toward the San Diego outfielders, causing a nine-minute delay. None of that stopped the Padres from responding in a heated series.

In fact, the actions in the stands seemed to energize a team that hit four of its six home runs the night after the ignominious performance.

“We saw our boy Profar being pelted with balls, he has the right to be angry,” Tatís said. “But at the end of the day, we understand that we have a mission.”

Profar set the stage early before things deteriorated late.

For the second straight game, the Padres took advantage of a turbulent Dodgers rotation and took an early lead. And for the second straight time, the Dodgers responded.

At least it seemed that way.

The home run tunes blared from the speakers in the bottom of the first inning as Mookie Betts singled to second and pointed toward the Dodgers' bullpen during his usual trot around the bases. It wasn't until Betts rounded second base that he became aware of Profar — who had spent the last few seconds jumping up and down and staring at a group of fans in the front rows who had been trying in vain to watch the deep drive to left To secure the field – had robbed the homer of his life with the catch.

“I thought it was kind of funny,” Merrill said. “But if I were Mookie, I'd be pretty mad.”

Did Merrill know Profar got it?

“Absolutely not,” Merrill said. “I thought, 'Damn, 1-1, what are we doing?' He jumped around and it looked like he was saying, 'No, no.' When he threw it in, I was like, 'Oh my God, what are we doing?' First inning, is this how we do it? I love it.”

Tatís wasn't sure about right field either.

“I was probably like everyone else, I had this question mark until he started bouncing back,” Tatís said. “Then he showed the ball. My emotions were through the roof.”

That also applied to the Dodgers fans, who couldn't hold them back at the end of the night.

There were unfortunate interactions between the Padres outfielders and fans in the pavilions throughout the game, particularly after the corner outfielders' stunning defensive performances.

In the fourth inning, Tatís robbed Freddie Freeman of a double when he reached out to make a grab. The catch drew applause from starter Yu Darvish on the mound — and a chorus of boos from the stands. Tatís danced as the ridicule rained down on her. He said he doesn't mind if the fans say anything to him. He will interfere and also go back and forth.

But none of the Padres' histrionics justified what happened in a shameful seventh-inning performance when Dodger fans threw baseballs in Profar's direction and trash in Tatís' direction. Profar was outraged and only calmed down when his Padres teammates paid him a visit in shallow left field. There were several announcements over the PA speakers reminding fans not to throw anything on the field, and at one point stadium security crowded around the Padres outfielders and escorted them away from the commotion.

“You can scream whatever you want,” Profar said. “Just throwing it can hurt people.”

The chaos didn't deter Darvish, who pitched another zero to end a seven-inning, one-run gem, nor a Padres offense apparently sparked by the fiasco. After the delay, Machado gathered the team in the dugout and encouraged his teammates to stay locked in despite the turmoil around them.

Earlier in the night, Machado was involved in another argument, this one between the lines.

After Tatís – who is 9-for-14 with three home runs to start the postseason – hit a home run and a double in his first two at-bats, he was hit on an 0-1 pitch by Jack Flaherty in a 3-1 Game thrown to the ground Starting the sixth inning. Profar and catcher Will Smith exchanged a few words. Machado, who thought Flaherty was throwing at Tatís, was also unhappy.

Flaherty said he wasn't intentionally trying to hit Tatís in that situation, but tensions still arose. After striking out Machado, the Dodgers pitcher yelled some pithy words at the Padres third baseman and told him to “sit down.” When Machado heard what Flaherty had said, he tweeted back. The two continued to trade barbs and appeared to challenge each other to a fight before the end of the night.

As everyone seemed to be losing their temper, the youngest player on the field kept his temper.

After Machado struck out and Flaherty walked, Merrill won the ensuing left-left matchup and extended the Padres' lead with an RBI single. Two innings later, the electrifying rookie delivered the knockout with a two-run home run. After finishing the year leading all rookies in hits, batting average and slugging, Merrill continued his success into October, recording six hits in his first four career playoff games.

“He’ll just show up and play,” Tatís said. “What this kid has done for this team this year is just unbelievable. His talent is incredible, his character. I feel like everyone can see what kind of baseball player he is.”

On a night marred by some bad acting in the stands, Tatís left them a parting gift in the ninth, sending another baseball back into the stands.

The audience at Dodger Stadium threatened to derail the performance.

But a surprising Padres outfield stole the show again.

Well, it's a series.

“I know we're about to come back to San Diego with a very, very loud, rowdy, aggressive, hungry crowd that's going to be super excited and going for it,” Shildt said. “But I also know we’ll stay classy, ​​San Diego.”

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the LA Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. Rowan, an LSU graduate, was born in California, grew up in Texas and then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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