The San Diego Padres recently called up catcher Ethan Salas, and he made home run history against the Rockies.
San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas went from overmatched to overpowering in the third game of the Padres’ four game set against the Colorado Rockies, as he broke out with a two-homer game in the Pads’ 9-3 win and made some history in the process, per a writeup from AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
Salas’s first homer was a Coors Field special, a hard line drive that seemed to gain momentum as it traveled through the thin night air, and it got him on the board in the power department. That one was a solo shot in the second inning, and he gave the fans in right field a souvenir as he launched his second homer, which was a two-run shot in the fifth that put San Diego up 8-1.
“It was a good day,” Salas said afterward. “Thankfully we got the win. And I got two good swings off today.”
The history part was about the catcher’s age. He’s just 20 years and 107 days old, per Cassavell, which made him the youngest catcher in MLB history to hit two home runs in the same game. As a footnote, he’s also the first Padre at any position to turn the trick.
At first glance, this explosion seemed to come from out of nowhere, but don’t be fooled. It took Salas an 0-for-15 stretch before he got his first hit, but he’s a fast and precocious learner. He’s proved that at every level, even after looking overwhelmed at the plate in his first few games.
But his defense plays. That’s part of why the Padres are sticking with him, even though they already have two good defensive catchers. Salas is the future, though, and everyone know it, even if he is taking something of an “aw, shucks” approach to all this.
“I'm just a kid playing baseball, man,” Salas said. “So it's pretty crazy to be in company with such high-caliber guys like that.”
Salas belongs, though. He didn’t look sure of it initially, but sooner or later the talent was bound to show through. The Padres have gone to pains to reassure him through his struggles, with manager Craig Stammen and third-baseman Manny Machado taking the lead in those efforts.
“For the first time in the big leagues, he was able to show everybody what he’s made of,” said Padres manager Craig Stammen. “He caught a great game. Also hit two big homers.”
Salas will get more starts, and there’s a good chance he’ll hit more homers, although the Padres are down to just ten games left to play. If you have any doubts about that, the man with the go-to quote was starter Robbie Ray, who pitched one of his best games as a Padre.
“He was great back there today,” said Ray, who allowed three runs on three hits over six innings. “We had a gameplan going into it. He was with me on the gameplan the whole time. … He did a great job.”
It’s too soon to expect Salas to become a major presence in the Padres lineup, but don’t be surprised if it happens, because he really is that good.
