The rivalry between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers reached a boiling point in the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory at Dodger Stadium, as both benches cleared following a tense moment involving pitcher Gavin Stone and Padres’ hitter Jurickson Profar.
Stone, who had retired the first 13 batters he faced, unleashed a 92 mph fastball up and into Profar after the veteran showed bunt on the previous pitch.
Profar, not one to back down, exchanged words with Dodgers catcher Will Smith, leading to both teams spilling onto the field. After a brief standoff, order was restored, and the game resumed.
“For a moment, I thought it was because of [the bunt] and he’s throwing a perfect game,” remarked Profar. “But he wouldn’t do that throwing a perfect game.”
The tension between these NL West rivals has been simmering, with memorable clashes in recent postseasons. The Dodgers eliminated the Padres in the 2020 NLDS en route to a World Series title, while San Diego returned the favor by ousting L.A. in the NLDS two years later.
In a perfecto bid, an up-and-in pitch clears the SD and LA benches
When asked about the incident, Stone responded, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Maybe.”
Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts weighed in, stating, “You’ve got to be able to throw inside. Obviously, with one out in a one-run ballgame, the pitcher is not going to throw at a hitter.
You can’t afford a baserunner, so I don’t understand if that was gamesmanship or what? And Will [Smith] kind of tried to let him know that we’re not throwing at you, just get back in the box and play the game.”
Stone’s bid for a perfect game ended in the sixth inning with a walk, followed by a single from Kyle Higashioka.
“It was just the heat of the moment,” Profar reflected. “I wasn’t trying to get the team energized or anything like that. We don’t need that. We have a good team. We don’t need any of that.”
Padres’ manager Mike Shildt supported Profar’s reaction, stating, “You take exception to a guy running something in on you tight. I think he maybe said something and maybe something was said back, I’m not really sure. We’re not gonna start anything, but we’re not gonna take anything.”
The intensity of the Padres-Dodgers rivalry was on full display, reminding fans of the fierce competition and emotions that define these matchups.
