The Los Angeles Dodgers recently beat the San Diego Padres five out of seven times in an absurd 11-game stretch. The two teams went through March, April and May without playing each other for the first time in 25 years.
During the finale of this dense set of games, a benches-clearing brawl broke out after Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch during Jack Little’s MLB debut with the Dodgers down 5-0 in the top of the ninth inning, leading to both team’s managers earning an ejection.
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In the bottom half of the frame, Shohei Ohtani was struck by a pitch from Friars reliever Robert Suarez, which led to him joining his manager in the early exit (and a three-game suspension). Padres’ skipper Mike Shildt said on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that he wants a “clean” series when the two divisional foes face off next, after both Tatis and Ohtani were hit twice during the series.
“My hope is that as we move forward the competition will continue to be high, but it will be clean,” Shildt said.
The atmosphere between the two clubs was certainly electric and competition was high, but stars getting pelted by baseballs is something that will hopefully lessen when the teams face off again in August.
The tension felt throughout the entire series was obvious, but specifically for Little hitting Tatis on Thursday, manager Dave Roberts tried to clarify that the pitch that started the skirmish had no intent behind it.
“I’m taking starters out of the game, trying to get this game over with and get this kid a couple innings,” Roberts explained. “And so that’s why I felt, I took that personal. Because I understand the game, and I understand that it doesn’t feel good to get hit. But understand again, intent versus clearly no intent.”
The Dodgers are currently atop of the National League West with the Padres in third place, trailing by five games. The two will play each other six times in a nine-day span starting August 15 at Dodger Stadium.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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One Response
Just run the team and stop being a sore head about what is part of the game.