Fernando Tatis Jr's Glove Compensating For Bat In Cubs Series

The San Diego Padres forced a decisive Game 3 against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon, stealing a 3-0 win at Wrigley Field. It was another game where the offense had difficulty breaking through, going just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Things would have been quite a bit narrower had it not been for a massive home run off the bat of Manny Machado in the fifth inning. Nevertheless, they now stand with an opportunity to escape Chicago with a series win and head up to Milwaukee for the National League Division Series. 

An impact appearance at the plate from Fernando Tatis Jr should would help. However, that doesn't mean Tatis Jr. has been without value in the two games we've seen thus far. 

It's been a quiet series, to date, for the Padres' superstar right fielder. Coming in on the heels of a strong September showing (151 wRC+), Tatis has managed to reach base just twice across nine plate appearances. He went 0-for-4 in Game 1 before reaching twice in five plate appearances on Wednesday. The first came via a single to lead off the game before he was standing on base again via a walk in the fifth prior to scoring on Machado's blast. 

While the on-base component certainly helps, Tatis' status as one of the drivers of this team's offense means that he needs to emerge as an impact contributor for the Padres to go any further than Thursday evening's Game 3 tilt. It remains to be seen if that will manifest in the way that the lineup may need. In the interim, though, the Padres sure must be happy with the production they're getting out of him on the other side of the ball. 

In the eighth inning of Game 2, Tatis flashed the leather that helped preserve the 3-0 lead the Padres had built: 

At the time, the Padres had already sent Robert Suárez to the mound for a four-out save. Mason Miller left a man on with two outs after he hit Michael Busch. That allowed Nico Hoerner a chance to step to the plate. The contact he made was 94.9 MPH off the bat with a .470 expected batting average. Even with Tatis battling the sun, he was able to get the type of jump required to rob Hoerner of a hit that would have carried serious impact to it. 

Had Tatis not been able to reach that one, you're already looking at Busch scoring, given the immediate movement with two outs. Hoerner has speed to burn, so extra bases were a guarantee in that scenario, leaving only a trip to second or third base as the remaining question for the Cubs' second baseman. In that reality, it's a 3-1 game with a runner in scoring position and the tying run at the plate in the form of a lefty-swinging Ian Happ. Instead, Tatis Jr's excellence came through in maintaining the three-run cushion. Suárez locked it down in the ninth with a flyout-single-GIDP sequence. 

At this point, it's hardly a surprise to see Fernando Tatis Jr make such a play on the outfield grass. He finished the regular season with eight Outs Above Average and 15 Defensive Runs Saved; the former sat 16th among qualifying outfielders while the latter checked in at the six spot in the rankings. 

It's the type of defensive performance the Padres will continue to need, given the Cubs' impact lefties in the form of Happ, Kyle Tucker, and Michael Busch. That element is also allowing him to provide value to the Padres even if the bat hasn't come through yet. While you'd like to see more at the plate in a short series such as this, the defense from Tatis has been invaluable all season. We're just now seeing the type of impact that can make at the season's most crucial moments.