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Luis Arraez Had Epic Message for Padres Hitting Coach Before Walk-Off Hit
Luis Arraez called game.
Arraez, acquired by the San Diego Padres in a deal that sent four players to the Miami Marlins last Saturday, stepped up when his new team needed him most during the Padres' 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park in San Diego, Ca.
Facing Dodgers' righthander Michael Grove with the speedy Tyler Wade on first base, Arraez lined the first pitch he saw—a 93-MPH cutter—into center field, sending Wade around the base paths for the walk-off hit.
Moments before the walk-off, Arraez predicted he would win the game in a conversation with San Diego hitting coach Victor Rodriguez, a moment he shared with Padres radio host Sammy Levitt during a postgame interview.
"As I waited for the at-bat, I turned to my hitting coach, Victor. I said, 'I'll finish this game.' And I did it," Arraez said.
Luis Arraez told me after his walk-off hit that he told hitting coach Victor Rodriguez before the at-bat: “I’ll finish this game.”
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) May 11, 2024
Arraez backed it up. What a debut at Petco Park.
pic.twitter.com/R1GYkIaQQ1
What a way for Arraez, making his debut at Petco Park, to further endear himself to Padres fans. The San Felipe, Venezuela native has wasted no time getting acclimated to San Diego, as he's posted a .375/.423/.417 slash line with five runs scored and a pair of RBI in six games with his new club.
Arraez, 27, is a career .324 hitter in six MLB seasons.
Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.