The rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres reached a boiling point Thursday night at Dodger Stadium when Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning, sparking a benches-clearing confrontation and heated words on both sides.
Rookie pitcher Jack Little, making his MLB debut, plunked Tatis on the wrist, triggering an emotional response from both dugouts. Both managers—Dave Roberts for the Dodgers and Mike Shildt for the Padres—were ejected in the aftermath, as players and coaches spilled onto the field in a chaotic scene near home plate.
Following the game, former Dodgers third baseman Manny Machado had strong words for Roberts, suggesting the Dodgers skipper initiated contact and then backed down.
Machado: Dodgers wanted The Smoke
“I definitely saw that contact,” Machado said. “I think [Roberts] wanted some smoke. Shildty said, ‘What’s up, let’s go. Where you at?’ I guess [Roberts] stayed on the other side. I guess you just kind of want that smoke with just fans watching [and] your team behind you, not solo. So, yeah, I mean, we’re still waiting.”
Machado also issued a stern warning regarding the repeated hit-by-pitches targeting Tatis over recent seasons.
“It’s, I don’t know, eight, nine, 10 in a row already, last three or four years,” he said. “Let’s just hope his CT scan comes back negative. They got to pray it comes back negative tomorrow. … They need to set a little candle up for Tati tomorrow.”
Initial scans were negative, and Tatis was back in the Padres’ lineup Friday. But Machado’s comments underscore growing frustration in San Diego’s clubhouse.
Despite Thursday’s loss, the Dodgers took five of seven games during this recent 11-day stretch and now sit atop the NL West. These two teams will meet again August 15 in Los Angeles—a date that now carries even more weight.