Trevor Bauer and Fernando Tatis Jr. added another chapter to their brewing rivalry during a tense Dodgers-Padres matchup. Before the game, Bauer tweeted at Tatis, accusing him of sign-stealing and inviting him to “just ask” if he needed help. Later, during a key at-bat in the sixth inning, the drama unfolded. Bauer tried to work Tatis with a mix of fastballs and sliders, mostly staying outside. On a full count, Bauer shook off a few signs before agreeing to a cutter. Tatis appeared to sneak a peek toward the plate right as the catcher finished signaling. Whether he saw anything or not is unclear, but he seemed to anticipate the outside pitch.
Tatis reached out and barreled a cutter that was well off the plate, blasting it into the left-field seats. The celebration ramped up from there. He mimicked Bauer’s strut as he crossed home, then added another jab with a one-eyed gesture—clearly mocking Bauer’s earlier spring training antics where he pitched with one eye closed. Earlier in the game, Tatis had already homered off Bauer with similar dramatics. Afterward, both players took their trash talk to Twitter, calling each other “daddy” in a weird but entertaining back-and-forth.
Whether Tatis gained an advantage from the peek is up for debate. The pitch was outside like the rest of the sequence, so it’s possible he just guessed right. Still, the tension, swagger, and mind games between Bauer and Tatis are turning these Dodgers-Padres games into showdowns worth watching.