The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres ended their contentious seven-game stretch with a benches-clearing brawl that felt inevitable. In the ninth inning of Thursday’s 5–0 Dodgers win, Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was drilled on the wrist by a pitch from Dodgers rookie Jack Little, who was making his MLB debut. That was the final straw for Padres manager Mike Shildt.
Shildt stormed out of the dugout, yelling toward the Dodgers’ bench before both teams cleared the dugouts in a heated standoff. After a prolonged shouting match with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts—who met him near home plate—both managers were ejected.
Shildt’s fury didn’t subside after the game.
Los Angeles Dodgers Get Stern Warning From Padres Manager
“Enough is enough,” he declared. “Teams that I manage don’t throw at people. But also, teams I manage don’t take anything. And after a while, I’m not going to take it. I’m not going to take it on behalf of Tati, I’m not going to take it on behalf of our team—intentional or unintentional. That’s how this game is played.”
The Padres’ frustrations had been building. The four-game set featured eight hit-by-pitches between the two clubs, including a plunking of rookie Andy Pages earlier in the series that first sparked dugout tensions.
Tatis’ HBP, however, sent Shildt over the edge.
“I’d like to think [it wasn’t intentional], but I can’t say that,” Shildt said. “We’ve got a guy getting X-rays right now, one of the best players in the game. This guy’s taken shots.”
In the bottom of the ninth, Padres reliever Robert Suárez hit Shohei Ohtani on a 3-0 pitch and was immediately ejected. Roberts questioned the intent behind it: “That’s a hard throw… clearly there was intent behind it.”
The Dodgers won the series 5–2 and hold a five-game NL West lead, but the real rematch looms August 15 at Dodger Stadium—where tensions will be high, and Shildt won’t forget.
In the meantime, Tatis’ health remains a concern. He was undergoing X-rays postgame, and the Padres can ill afford a long absence for their star. For a rivalry already rich with history, this latest chapter only deepens the tension—and ensures the next meeting will be must-watch baseball.