Ballpark hijinks: Soto leaves a note on the right field grass for former Padres teammate Tatis

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yankees slugger Juan Soto left a note on the right field grass for his former San Diego Padres teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. after the bottom of the eighth inning of New York’s 8-0 win Friday night.

Tatis picked it up and appeared to laugh.

Soto wouldn’t say what the note said, but added: “It was something cool. He enjoyed it because when I hit the double he looked at me, he was laughing about it.”

Soto hit a long two-run home run in the third inning of his first game in San Diego since the Padres sent him to the Yankees in a seven-player trade on Dec. 7. He was booed by Padres fans but cheered by Yankees fans at Petco Park. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton also hit no-doubt home runs off Yu Darvish in the third and Gleyber Torres homered leading off the fourth.

Soto doubled in the ninth.

Soto was obtained by the Padres on Aug. 2, 2022, in an eight-player trade with Washington.

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