The National League West rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres intensified significantly over the past week and a half, culminating in a heated confrontation during Thursday night’s matchup at Dodger Stadium. The two teams, meeting for the first time this season in a series played over 11 days, displayed playoff-level intensity and mutual frustration as a string of hit batters culminated in dugouts clearing and both managers being ejected.
Over the course of the seven games, which the Dodgers won five times, tensions grew with each physical incident. In total, 10 batters were hit during the two series, including Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr., who was struck by pitches on three separate occasions. The final hit-by-pitch, which occurred in the eighth inning of San Diego’s 5-3 victory on Thursday, came near Tatis’ right hand and triggered the on-field confrontation. Although no punches were thrown, both dugouts emptied, and a lengthy standoff behind home plate led to the ejections of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Padres skipper Mike Shildt.
Tatis underwent X-rays and a CT scan following the incident. His teammate Manny Machado expressed concern afterward, suggesting the situation could have more serious implications depending on the results of those tests. Machado emphasized that while both teams should hope for a negative medical outcome, Tatis’s repeated plunkings had clearly struck a nerve.
Following Tatis’ HBP, Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani was hit in the back by Padres reliever Robert Suarez during the bottom half of the same inning. Despite the brewing hostility, Ohtani de-escalated the moment by waving off his teammates and calmly taking his base. Roberts later confirmed that Ohtani recognized the pitch as intentional but chose to prevent further escalation.
Ohtani was hit twice during the series, and Dodgers rookie Andy Pages also took two pitches. Though neither side confirmed intent behind the pitches, Shildt voiced frustration, noting that Tatis has been hit six times by Dodgers pitching over his career, more than by any other opponent. He called the trend unacceptable, whether or not malice was involved.
Roberts, in contrast, acknowledged the unfortunate outcome but maintained his players were not targeting Tatis. He expressed hope that the Padres outfielder would not miss significant time and said the confrontation with Shildt was fueled by the latter’s aggressive approach following the incident.
The escalating rivalry will now enter a two-month pause. The next meetings between the Dodgers and Padres are scheduled for August 15–17 in Los Angeles and August 22–24 in San Diego, setting up a potentially volatile second half of the season in a tightly contested division.
Padres infielder Machado emphasized the competitive landscape of the NL West, pointing to improvements across the board, including San Francisco’s acquisition of Rafael Devers and Arizona’s consistent strength. With four teams in serious contention, he predicted a dramatic and unpredictable stretch run.
The Dodgers and Padres are scheduled for separate matchups this weekend. Los Angeles opens as a -160 favorite in Saturday’s game, while San Diego is listed as a +130 underdog. The over/under for both games is set at 8.5 runs.
