MLB Suspensions Follow Heated Dodgers-Padres Showdown
In a dramatic turn of events during Thursday night’s MLB clash, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt both received one-game suspensions following a chaotic incident on the field. The tension escalated when Padres reliever Robert Suárez was handed a three-game suspension after hitting Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani with a pitch.
The fireworks ignited in the ninth inning when Padres’ star Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped up to bat with one out and the Padres leading 5-0. Dodgers relief pitcher Jack Little threw a 93 mph fastball that struck Tatis in the hand, marking the third time this season that Dodgers pitchers have hit him in just seven games.
Shildt was visibly furious over Tatis being hit again and stormed out of the dugout, confronting the Dodgers’ bench. The confrontation quickly escalated, with both managers exchanging heated words before being separated. As tensions flared, both teams’ bullpens and dugouts emptied onto the field.
Though order was eventually restored, the drama continued. In the bottom of the ninth, with the Padres leading 5-2 and Ohtani at the plate, Suárez fell behind in the count and then threw a 100 mph fastball that hit Ohtani on the right shoulder. Ohtani calmly signaled to his dugout to stay put as he took his base. Suárez was promptly ejected from the game for the incident.
This marked the second time Ohtani was hit by a pitch in the series, and it was also the sixth time Tatis has been hit by Dodgers pitching throughout his career, the most by any team. Although the Padres secured a 5-3 victory, their primary concern shifted to the results of Tatis’ X-ray and CT scan.
Padres third baseman Manny Machado expressed the team’s worries, stating, "The Dodgers gotta pray for the results to come back negative tomorrow. They should. Us, too, but they should for sure."
Shildt voiced his frustrations regarding the situation, saying, "Whether it was intentional or not, enough is enough. We’ve got a guy getting X-rays right now who’s one of the best players in the game."
Roberts also shared his thoughts, indicating his discomfort with Shildt’s aggressive approach. "I didn’t feel good about Tatis getting hit. As (Shildt) comes out yelling at me, that bothers me. That’s the last thing I wanted."
In a surprising twist, Roberts commended Ohtani for his ability to diffuse the situation, acknowledging that Ohtani seemed to understand the intent behind the pitch and chose to avoid further drama.
The Dodgers managed to win three out of four games in the series and have triumphed in five of the seven encounters this season. The heated rivalry between these NL West teams is set to continue, with their next meetings scheduled for August 15-17 in Los Angeles and August 22-24 in San Diego.
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Jackson Thompson is a seasoned sports writer for Fox News Digital, previously contributing to ESPN and Business Insider, and has reported on major sporting events like the Super Bowl and NBA Finals.
