The bad blood between NL West rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres finally boiled over onto the field when both benches cleared late Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 19: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres and Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after the benches cleared due to Tatis Jr. being hit by a pit in the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
You could feel it building all week. Like storm clouds gathering above Chavez Ravine, the tension between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres was thick, heavy, and just waiting to explode.
On Thursday night, it finally did.
In the ninth inning of a volatile series finale between these bitter NL West rivals, Dodgers reliever Jack Little hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch—the seventh hit batsman of the series, and the third time Tatis had been drilled by L.A. arms this season. The 26-year-old superstar didn’t charge the mound, but the message was clear: San Diego had seen enough.
Padres manager Mike Shildt stormed out of the dugout like a man possessed, barking across the diamond before benches and bullpens emptied in a chaotic swarm of blue and brown. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wasn’t backing down either, matching Shildt’s fury step-for-step as both clubs converged near home plate.
The scuffle didn’t escalate to punches, but the heat between these teams was undeniable. Both managers were ejected in the aftermath.
And maybe it was overdue.
This four-game war at Dodger Stadium wasn’t baseball—it was a brewing street fight wrapped in balls and strikes. By the time the final pitch was thrown, seven different players had worn fastballs, cutters, and sliders like badges of battle. You didn’t need a stat sheet to know the series had crossed the line from competitive to combustible.
Tatis, who has had his fair share of drama with the Dodgers over the years, was immediately lifted for a pinch-runner after being hit. But the real spark wasn’t the HBP—it was the history. The postseason meetings. The highlight-reel bat flips. The chirps from the dugouts. The stolen bases in blowouts. It all added up.
And Thursday night, it spilled over.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Padres responded by hitting two-way superstar, and reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani. San Diego’s closer Robert Suarez was immediately ejected. It was the eighth hit batter of the series. Overall, in the seven games these two teams have met this season, all over the last two weeks, there have been 11 different players hit by pitches.
What was supposed to be a midsummer measuring stick between two playoff contenders turned into a reminder: Dodgers vs. Padres isn’t just a division rivalry anymore. It’s personal.
Now, with over half a season left, the question isn’t whether we’ll see fireworks again between these two. It’s when.
Stay tuned.
