Red-hot Tatis perfect at plate for TinCaps

Fernando Tatis Jr. ran so hard and so fast Sunday, he lost feeling in his legs. On Monday, he was right back in the lineup putting together a perfect day at the plate.
His father would be proud.
A day after racing for an inside-the-park homer and doubling, San Diego's No. 6 prospect went 3-for-3 with a walk for Class A Fort Wayne in its 4-2 loss at Dayton, the latest impressive showing in a run that's carried over from late June. 

"I've been feeling pretty good, seeing the off-speed pitch and recognizing pitches early and all that," Tatis said. "I'm feeling pretty good at the plate, just trying to hit the ball to center field."

That was the destination for a deep fly off Tatis' bat Sunday against the Dragons. Having doubled to left earlier, the shortstop clobbered a shot in the top of the sixth that clanked off the wall with center fielder Taylor Trammell in pursuit.
"I'll be honest, I was thinking double when I got out of the box," Tatis said with a laugh Monday. "I saw [Trammell] fall and I thought, 'Oh man, now I've got to run more.' My manager [Anthony Contreras] was sending me home and I said, 'Oh shoot, we've got to go.' It was fun, man. It was tough.
"I couldn't feel my legs after it, but you've got to run hard." 

The unorthodox homer was Tatis' 12th of the season and gave the 18-year-old his fourth multi-hit game since June 27. On Monday night, he added his fifth.
"[Games like this] give me some real good confidence," the Dominican Republic native said. "This point in the season, this part is exhausting, but I feel real confident at the plate."
Tatis lined a single to center in the first inning and reached on infield knocks in the fifth and eighth. It marked his first three-hit game since May 16 and fourth of the season. After batting .244 with an .816 OPS in 25 June contests, Tatis has seven hits in his first 10 July at-bats and remains mindful of advice that his father, an 11-year Major Leaguer, gave his son upon entering pro ball.
"My dad taught me everything on the field and off the field too," Tatis said. "He told me that this game is going to be tough for me. It's not going to be everything easy. Not everything is how people think from the outside, that everything's good every day and all that. He taught me it's a grind every day.
"The game is fun, but at the same time, it's also hard. He told me, 'If you want to play this, you've got to keep the grind every day. You've got to keep focus and push yourself every day.'"
Those lessons come in especially handy during the dog days of summer when the Midwest League sun is hot and days are long. Preparation and routine, as the elder Tatis imparted, are key.
"The benefits are you learn the small things that people outside the game don't know," the shortstop said. "I think that part is very important."
Tatis' father played 949 games in the Majors with the Rangers, Cardinals, Expos, Orioles and Mets, but didn't make his professional debut until 1994 when he was 19 with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Rangers. His son -- who won't turn 19 until Jan. 2 -- is already making positive impressions further up the Minor League ladder in full-season ball.
Gameday box score
"We're almost the same. My dad was a five-tool player, and I think I can run and all that," Tatis chuckled. "I think I'm a five-tool player too. I think we're going to have the same type of game, but I think I'm just going to have more time at shortstop while my dad was a third baseman."
Infield singles and inside-the-park homers don't come with speed or hustle registered next to them in box scores, but those are points of emphasis for the younger Tatis.
"This part [of the season] people start getting tired," he said. "I just want to stay focused and play hard, run the bases hard and all that. I don't want people to be saying I'm a player that doesn't grind or doesn't play the game hard."

Riding a five-game hitting streak that includes four multi-hit contests, Tatis boosted his slash line from .255/.343/.431 entering play Thursday to .274/.362/.462 heading into Independence Day.
"I want to hustle every day, keep focused, keep my routine and keep doing the small things in the game," he said.