One shortstop has been the talk of baseball since the first pitch of the 2020 season, while the other started off as an on-base machine and unexpected leadoff hitter, fell into a "slump" and is slowly trying to fight his way out.
On this night in the Seattle Mariners' easy 8-3 victory over the San Diego Padres, J.P. Crawford, who came into the game with just three hits and 14 strikeouts in his past 40 plate appearance, was the best shortstop on the field.
Crawford reached base three times in the game, scoring two runs and driving in three runs with a two-run homer to center and a run-scoring double.
Meanwhile Fernando Tatis Jr., who has been the best player in baseball since the first pitch of this shortened season, was held hitless and not allowed to reach base for just the fourth time this season.
While Crawford may have prevailed in this one-game duel, it's likely that 21-year-old Tatis will be in the running for the National League MVP for this season and many seasons to come. Also the Padres are on pace to be playing in the postseason, and the Mariners will be watching the postseason from their homes for the 19th consecutive season.
But does playing against baseball's latest baseball darling and "next superstar" provide any additional incentive for Crawford since they both play the same position as well?
"He's a great player, but you know we're on the same field and he's on the other team," Crawford said in a postgame video conference. "I want to win. He's (a) great player to watch, but I love competing against (great players) and try to beat them. I don't need no love from all the media stuff and the hype. I'm good. I know I'm good."
To be fair, the Mariners have maintained that Crawford hasn't been in as bad of a slump as the numbers might indicate. Manager Scott Servais has referenced their internal data on swing decisions based on pitches in and out of the strike zone and hard hit percentages, saying that Crawford's process is fine. The results were being skewed by some bad luck. Still, he knows that positive results such as extra base hits help a player's psyche.
"You can't control it once it leaves your bat," Servais said in a postgame video conference. "J.P.'s hit a lot of balls hard the last couple of weeks and hasn't much to show for it. And he continues to play unbelievable defense. He's always in the right spot, and he can finish plays."
But it wasn't just Crawford providing the offense in the Mariners' fourth straight win _ their longest streak of the season.
Catcher Austin Nola continued to swing the bat at torrid pace, tallying three hits, scoring two runs and hitting a solo homer.
First baseman Evan White, who was once mired in a funk worse than Crawford, added three hits, including a pair of RBI singles.
Seattle jumped on Padres starter Chris Paddack immediately, scoring two in the first inning. Crawford drew a leadoff walk and later scored on Kyle Seager's sacrifice fly while White delivered a two-out run-scoring single.
The Mariners pushed it to 4-0 in the second inning when Crawford smoked a line drive to center that carried over the fence. Statcast measured the blast at 420 feet with a 103 mph exit velocity.
Nola's solo homer to start the fifth inning, followed by Evan White's double, ended Paddack's night in the sixth inning.
All that early offense allowed Marco Gonzales to get a win on a night where he had to labor through just five innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with no walks and five strikeouts. The Padres had baserunners on in every inning, but scored all three of their runs in the third _ all with two outs. Gonzales gave up a double to Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer pulled a changeup into the right-field seats. It looked like the inning ended when right-fielder Jake Fraley appeared to throw out Wil Myers at second base on a hustle double attempt. But a replay review changed the call on the field and ruled Myers safe. It allowed Ty France to double to right-center.
