The San Diego Padres pulled off a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over the New York Yankees on May 5, 2025, at Yankee Stadium, but the game was overshadowed by a fiery eighth-inning controversy that saw star Fernando Tatis Jr. and manager Mike Shildt ejected after a disputed strike call. The incident, which sparked boos from the Bronx crowd and heated debate, highlighted the Padres’ resilience and Shildt’s rare show of fire. With Tatis continuing his stellar season and the Padres climbing the NL West, this game was a statement of their grit. Let’s break down the drama, the comeback, and what it means for San Diego’s playoff push.
The Padres trailed 3-0 entering the eighth, with Carlos Rodón’s 6⅔ scoreless innings and Trent Grisham’s two-run homer setting the tone for New York. Tatis, San Diego’s electrifying right fielder, stepped to the plate against reliever Devin Williams with one out, looking to spark a rally. A 1-1 pitch from Williams—a 95.6 mph fastball—caught the outside corner, but Tatis, expecting a ball, visibly disagreed with home plate umpire Adrian Johnson’s strike call. After swinging and missing at the next pitch for strike three, Tatis muttered something to Johnson while walking away, his hand over his mouth. Johnson promptly ejected him, stunning the Padres’ dugout. Shildt, typically a calm presence, stormed out to confront Johnson, arguing the call and Tatis’ ouster. His heated exchange earned him his 14th career ejection as a manager, a rare outburst for a skipper known for his composure.
On “The Mike Shildt Show” podcast postgame, Shildt didn’t hold back, calling the ejection “unacceptable” and defending Tatis’ restraint. “I thought Tatis handled it very well,” he said. “There were some pitches he didn’t agree with, and I also didn’t agree with, and I made my comments from the dugout known, which I don’t do a ton. But he walks away with his back turned, and next thing you know he’s ejected.” Shildt, who prides himself on keeping players in games, emphasized his track record: “I probably have the fewest player ejections in my time managing. Our players just play, they’re respectful to the umpires.” Statcast data backed their frustration—the 1-1 pitch was 0.3 inches off the plate, outside the strike zone’s edge. Shildt’s broader point was about fairness: “It’s a big moment, and you’ve got to get those calls right.”
The ejections could’ve derailed San Diego, but they lit a fire. Williams, already shaky, walked Tyler Wade, allowed a single to Brandon Lockridge, and walked Luis Arraez to load the bases with two outs. Yankees manager Aaron Boone pulled Williams for Luke Weaver, but the Padres pounced. Manny Machado laced a two-run double to left, scoring Wade and Lockridge to make it 3-2. Then Xander Bogaerts delivered the dagger, a two-run single that plated Arraez and Machado, giving San Diego a 4-3 lead. Robert Suarez closed it out in the ninth, striking out Aaron Judge to seal the Padres’ sixth straight win and improve their record to 23-11, keeping them 1½ games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
Tatis, despite the ejection, remains a driving force for San Diego. His 2025 season is shaping up as a career year: .317/.387/.503, eight homers, 18 RBIs, and 22 runs in 34 games. His 1.8 WAR trails only Bogaerts (2.1) among Padres hitters, and his 94.2 mph average exit velocity (88th percentile) shows he’s squaring up pitches. Since returning from a 2021 shoulder injury and a 2022 PED suspension, Tatis has silenced doubters, earning his first Gold Glove in right field in 2024 and posting a .282/.351/.476 line with 36 homers. His speed (12 steals) and flair—like a bat-flip homer against the Mets on April 27—make him the Padres’ heartbeat. Without him in the eighth, Machado (.275, 10 HRs) and Bogaerts (.301, 15 RBIs) stepped up, proving San Diego’s depth.
Shildt’s ejection, while rare, wasn’t out of character for a manager who picks his spots. His 14 ejections since 2018 with the Cardinals and Padres are fewer than peers like Aaron Boone (29) or Bob Melvin (18). His 2024 Manager of the Year award, earned after leading San Diego to a 93-69 record and an NLDS appearance, reflects his ability to balance discipline and passion. The Padres’ 2025 roster, bolstered by Dylan Cease’s 3.12 ERA and Michael King’s 4-1 start, is built for October, but close games like this one—decided by a razor-thin call—show why Shildt fights for his players. As he told MLB Network postgame, “We’re not here to roll over. We’re here to compete.”
The Yankees loss dropped them to 19-16, still atop the AL East, but exposed cracks in their bullpen, with Williams’ 10.03 ERA a glaring issue. For the Padres, the win was a testament to their fight. Cease’s 6⅓ innings (one earned run) kept them in it, and the offense, which stranded seven runners early, delivered when it mattered. With Tatis on pace for 38 homers and a .900 OPS, and a lineup featuring Jake Cronenworth (.289) and rookie Jackson Merrill (.310), San Diego’s a threat to overtake L.A. The NL West race is heating up, and if Shildt’s fire and Tatis’ bat keep burning, the Padres could be playing deep into October. For now, they’ve got the Yankees’ number—and a chip on their shoulder. Keep swinging, San Diego—this team’s got fight.
