Contentious Dodgers-Padres series ends with benches clearing and managers ejected
Seven times in the last 10 days, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres have faced one another.
In the last inning of the last one of those games Thursday night, mounting tensions between the clubs — and their respective managers — finally spilled onto the field.
At the end of the Padres' 5-3 win against the Dodgers, San Diego star Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a Dodgers pitcher for the third time over the two recent series between the National League West rivals.
Moments later, Dave Roberts and Mike Shildt were face-to-face, engaged in a screaming match that caused both benches to empty in a heated melee behind home plate.
As soon as Tatis got plunked, taking a 93 mph fastball off his hands from debuting Dodgers rookie Jack Little, Shildt came storming out of the dugout, walking over to check on Tatis while barking in Roberts' direction.
Whatever Shildt said, Roberts took exception to. Suddenly, he was charging onto the field, too, meeting Shildt with a slight bump with his body while their two teams poured onto the field around them.
The scuffle didn't get overly physical, with some light shoving between the clubs pushing the pile into the screen behind home plate. But emotions were running hot the whole time, with Roberts and Shildt having to be separated from one another before each was ejected.
The fireworks didn't stop there.
After the Dodgers (46-30) scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, Shohei Ohtani was hit by Padres closer Robert Suarez with two outs. This time, the benches stayed put — in part, it appeared, because Ohtani waved for his teammates to stay in the dugout as he walked up the first base line. But because the umpires had issued warnings after the previous skirmish, Suarez was ejected, forcing the Padres (40-34) to turn to Yuki Matsui with the tying run at the plate.
Matsui nearly blew it, walking Miguel Rojas (who had been inserted for Mookie Betts the inning before, with the game seemingly out of reach at 5-0) to load the bases before spiking a breaking ball against Dalton Rushing (who had pinch-hit for Will Smith for the same reason) that bounced under the chest protector of catcher Martín Maldonado, plating a run and moving the Dodgers' other baserunners into scoring position.
Alas, Rushing struck out. The Padres held on. And a heated two-week stretch of rivalry baseball between the Southern California foes came to an end.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
20 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Dodgers, Padres take NL West rivalry to boiling point
The Dan Patrick Show crew discusses defining a "dynasty" in sports, examining how championships, consecutive playoff appearances, roster construction and the team's vibe all contribute to creating dynasties. LOS ANGELES (AP) — It took seven games over 11 days for the simmer to reach full boil. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres flashed playoff intensity in their long-awaited first two series of the season and went face-to-face, quite literally, after 10 batters were hit during a stretch the Dodgers owned on the scoreboard. In winning five of the seven games, the Dodgers also hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with pitches three times. The last of those came in the eighth inning of Thursday's 5-3 Padres victory when the benches finally cleared after Tatis was hit near the right hand. While the staredown behind home plate was more peacock feathers than fisticuffs, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Padres manager Mike Shildt were ejected following a tense back-and-forth exchange. Afterward, the Padres' Manny Machado said his true feelings won't be known until Tatis gets results from X-rays and a CT scan. 'They gotta pray for (results) to come back negative tomorrow,' Machado said. 'They should. Us, too, but they should for sure.' After Tatis was hit, the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani took a pitch to the back of his right (pitching) shoulder from Robert Suarez. With Dodgers players starting to move over the dugout railing, Ohtani waved back his teammates and took first base. 'Well, I think he knew it was intentional,' Roberts said. 'He wasn't hurt by it, and he didn't want any more drama, which I respect that a lot.' Ohtani was hit twice in the series, each a half inning after Tatis was hit. The Dodgers' Andy Pages also was hit twice in the series. Roberts said he hoped Tatis does not miss extended time. 'I didn't feel good about Tatis — great player, good guy — getting hit,' Roberts said. 'I didn't feel good about it. And so as (Shildt) comes out, and he's yelling at me and staring me down, that bothers me. Because, to be quite frank, that's the last thing I wanted.' Shildt said he has respect for the Dodgers but seeing Tatis get hit three times by their pitchers in less than two weeks doesn't sit right. He has also been hit by the Dodgers six times in his career, the most by any club. 'Whether it was (intentional) or it wasn't, enough is enough,' Shildt said. 'We got a guy who's getting X-rays right now, is one of the best players in the game, fortunately he's on our team, and this guy has taken shots, OK?' While the teams waited more than two months to face each other for the first time this season, there will be another two-month wait until they face off again Aug. 15-17 at Los Angeles and Aug. 22-24 at San Diego. 'It's going to be a fun ride,' Machado said. 'This division's freaking awesome, and it's going to be a fun ride going down the road. The Giants got better with (Rafael) Devers, and we know what these guys have on the other side. And what we have on this side. And obviously you can't count out Arizona. They've got a really good team over there. They're going to be battling. It's a four-headed monster battling it out, so it'll be an interesting second half.'
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dodgers owner buying majority stake in Lakers is great news for Luka Doncic
The post Dodgers owner buying majority stake in Lakers is great news for Luka Doncic appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Lakers were owned by the Buss family for decades, becoming one of America's most popular teams. Now, the team is under new ownership. Mark Walter, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, bought a majority stake in the Lakers on Wednesday. The man who helped bring Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers will now oversee Luka Doncic on the Lakers. Advertisement The move has sent shockwaves across the sports world. However, the consequences of the change are big. In Los Angeles, sports teams are only as big as their stars are. Luckily for Walter, he inherits a situation where the Lakers have Doncic for the next four years if he signs an extension this summer. The young superstar now has a compelling reason to stay in Los Angeles. Walter has made a name for himself thanks to his willingness to spend money to improve his team. He gave Ohtani a 10-year, $700 million deal in 2024 to bring him to Los Angeles. He dished out almost $1.5 billion over the last two offseasons to help secure a title for Los Angeles. While his spending will not be as useful in the NBA world thanks to the salary cap, there are other ways to invest in a team's success. Walter also understands that Doncic is the future of the Lakers' franchise. The team's new owner could spend however much money is necessary to ensure that his superstar is surrounded by the best staff and equipment to ensure his success. Doncic faced ridicule throughout the postseason because of his lack of conditioning. The 26-year-old appears to have taken the message to heart. However, Walter could give him everything he needs, both on and off the court to succeed. Advertisement The rules in Major League Baseball are vastly different than the NBA when it comes to spending in the offseason. Despite that, Walter could be just fine with his team going into the first and second aprons to bring in stars. Some of the Lakers' targets this summer would push them into the second apron if Los Angeles signed them. If Walter was willing to give Ohtani such a massive deal, why not do the same for Doncic? Both players are the face of their respective teams, and they face the pressure that comes with playing in Los Angeles. However, Doncic might get some more help from a new owner willing to open up his wallet and spend big. Related: Why Jeanie Buss selling Lakers is different than Mark Cuban's Mavericks sale Related: Magic Johnson congratulates Jeanie Buss on $10 billion sale
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who is new Lakers owner Mark Walter
The post Who is new Lakers owner Mark Walter appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Lakers received big news on Wednesday as Mark Walter, who is the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is buying majority ownership of the team. Walter has investments in numerous professional sports teams, and the Dodgers have won two World Series under his ownership. This is massive news for the Lakers and the city of Los Angeles as this sale is the largest sale of a professional sports franchise in the world. Advertisement So, who is Mark Walter? Let's meet the new owner of the Lakers: Walter grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and he attended the University of Creighton for his undergraduate studies. After graduating from Creighton, Walter studied law at Northwestern University and graduated law school in 1985. Walter is currently the CEO and chairman of DWG Global, and he is the owner of numerous professional sports teams. He is the majority owner of the Dodgers, Lakers, auto racing's Andretti Global and the Los Angeles Sparks WNBA team. Walter also has ownership in premier league soccer club Chelsea Ligue 1 RC Strasbourg. Walter also owns the Professional Women's Hockey League. A big portion of Walter's professional earnings have come from the insurance industry as he owns 21% of TWG Global Holdings. In February, Forbe's estimated Walter's net worth to be $6.1 billion. Mark Walter is involved in a lot outside of the sports world. His footprint has been left in the insurance industry, but he and his wife have also shown an interest in wildlife. Walter's wife, Kimbra Walter, is a trustee for the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. Mark was a fan of the Chicago Cubs growing up. The two of them also own White Oak Conservation, which is an animal refuge in Florida. Advertisement As you can see, Mark Walter is a busy man that has done a lot in his professional career. He is best known for his experience in the professional sports industry, and he is now the owner of one of the biggest brands in the entire world. Related: Lakers rumors: Nick Wright predicts Austin Reaves' trade value after Desmond Bane deal Related: Sources: Why Lakers rivals hoped Jeanie Buss would never sell franchise
