A series of intense confrontations between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres has come to a head in a heated benches-clearing confrontation. The latest incident occurred in Thursday’s game, where Padres manager Mike Shildt and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got into a shouting match after Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch for the third time in two recent series between the NL West rivals.
Tatis, who has been hit six times this season, was struck on the hand by Dodgers rookie Jack Little’s 93-mph fastball. Shildt stormed out of the dugout to check on Tatis and engage with Roberts, leading to a heated exchange between the two managers and their respective teams. The benches emptied as the two sides jawed back and forth.
Despite the intensity, the incident was not deemed physical, but emotions ran high. Umpires eventually ejected both Shildt and Roberts from the game.
The confrontation marked the latest in a series of tense exchanges between the two teams, with Padres closer Robert Suarez hitting Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani twice this season. The Padres’ manager insisted that he stood by his pitcher’s actions, saying “the fact of the matter is we took exception with it.”
However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed frustration at the situation, stating that he believed there was intent behind Suarez’s pitches towards Ohtani. When asked if the Padres had crossed a line, Roberts said “that’s their decision” and left it up to Major League Baseball to review the incident.
The rivalry between the two teams is set to continue in mid-August, with six games against each other over a two-week stretch.
Source: https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2025-06-19/dodgers-padres-benches-clear-managers-ejected