Tempers flared both on the field and in the stands at Dodger Stadium during the seventh inning of the Padres’ 10-2 win in NL Division Series Game 2 on Sunday night, as rowdy fans threw baseballs and debris towards San Diego left fielder Jurickson Profar, causing a 12-minute delay between pitches.
“That’s just not acceptable,” Padres manager Mike Shildt commented on the incident.
Tensions were further heightened as Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty and Padres slugger Manny Machado exchanged words after Flaherty hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch.
“Well, shoot, I’ve seen over a thousand games here, well over a thousand games in this ballpark, and I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “It was ugly.”
Profar had earlier made a spectacular play, robbing Mookie Betts of a home run in the first inning by reaching into the stands behind the low left-field wall. Despite the left-field umpire Adrian Johnson signaling a home run, Profar managed to hop backward and throw the ball to the infield, drawing astonished reactions from the fans.
As the game progressed, tensions escalated with fans yelling at Profar, who responded by gesturing back at them with his right arm. In a chaotic moment, several baseballs were thrown onto the field. Umpire Johnson approached Profar, soon joined by Shildt and other Padres players, while more umpires rushed to the scene. Profar yelled and pointed at the fans before teammate Xander Bogaerts placed an arm around him, and the Padres huddled together, including pitcher Yu Darvish, to address the situation.
