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Dodgers and Padres keep hostilities going, even on NLDS day off

Vaseline October 9, 2024

SAN DIEGO – They were the skinny weaklings from Southern California, bullied at school, having sand kicked in their faces on the beaches, told they could never stand up to those big bad bullies up north on the I-5 Freeway .

Well, a funny thing happened.

The San Diego Padres don’t have a $700 million player, they don’t have a $325 million pitcher or a single World Series banner flying in their stadium, but look who has all that swagger and intimidation?

The Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers may be tied at one game apiece in the National League Division Series, but the way the Padres are feeling these days, they fully intend to send the Dodgers home this week for the winter, while they have a world championship. Series parade in November.

The Padres, with Game 3 of their series scheduled for Tuesday night (9:08 PM ET on FS1) at Petco Park, say they have no plans to return to Los Angeles until June 2025, when they will play a foursome. game series at Dodger Stadium.

Even if this series is tied at two games apiece, they don’t believe they should be forced to play again at Dodger Stadium after Sunday’s game was suspended for 10 minutes due to fans throwing objects on the field.

“If I was the commissioner of baseball, I wouldn’t even allow a Game 5 at their house,” said Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada, who spoke for 20 minutes describing the beer cans, bottles and baseballs thrown onto the field and into the air . the bullpen. “I mean, why? Why would you want to test for this to happen again?

“It’s hard to control people. Something is going to happen.”

Growing up in California’s Inland Empire, Estrada was a huge Dodgers fan who vividly remembered all the great moments. He hated to see that great tradition tarnished by unruly fan behavior.

“That’s sad, it’s just a baseball game,” Estrada said. “I grew up the same way as probably 90% of the fans there, but there are clearly people who don’t know how to grow up. Part of me also stepped in a little as part of the immaturity part and yelled at them.

“I understand the whole rivalry thing, but there is no rivalry that should be taken so seriously. When it comes to the health risks of throwing objects at us, that’s not good. At the end of the day, it’s just damn baseball. You guys are ruining the legacy of Dodger Stadium by throwing beer cans at us. You don’t want us to throw anything at you. We wouldn’t miss it.

“We know we couldn’t do anything, but we took revenge by taking them out on the pitch. That’s the way we handled it. Okay, you want to show us, we’ll show you.”

The Dodgers are hardly advocating for the behavior of their fans, with a bottle just missing Padres pitcher Martin Perez in the bullpen, but they insist the Padres incited hostilities. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. teased the Dodgers crowd by dancing in the outfield and later mocked them by pretending to wipe away tears. Third baseman Manny Machado, after exchanging obscenities with Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty, fired a baseball at the Dodgers dugout that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believed was intended for him.

“I didn’t notice it at the time,” Roberts said. “I saw the video. And it was disturbing. …There was intention behind it. … It almost didn’t hit me because there was a net. And that was very annoying. If it was directed at me, I would be very… it’s quite disrespectful.

‘So I don’t know his intention. I don’t want to speak for him. But I did see the video. And the ball was pointed at me with something behind it.”

Machado said he only threw the ball into the dugout for the batboy to give it to the fans, saying, “I’ve already turned the page. I’m just looking forward to playing in front of our fans.”

Still, the explanation was difficult for Roberts to believe as he wondered whether Machado should have been sent off.

“I don’t think they should have had an arm-wrap conversation,” Roberts said of the refereeing crew. “If players can throw balls at opposing managers, you know….”

Well, it’s better than ducking out of bottles thrown from the stands, the Padres will tell you.

“I was really happy with how our guys responded,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “There was a feeling of satisfaction. I love the way we competed, the way we stuck together, the way we played and executed baseball…

“We don’t need 50,000 people yelling and throwing things at us to prove a point, but it does prove that this group will stick together and not give in.”

Do you think you’ll intimidate the Padres?

Sorry, the Padres will tell you it’s not happening.

“The San Diego Padres (are) not the same team they are today,” said Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler, who starts Tuesday. “We have seen that develop. …Not from a rivalry standpoint, but just in terms of the talent that they’ve gone on to acquire has certainly been significant.”

But while the Dodgers dropped $1.3 billion on the free-agent market last winter, the Padres actually let go of about $90 million in talented players over the winter. They traded Juan Soto. They let Cy Young winner Blake Snell and All-Star closer Josh Hader walk away. Free-agent pitchers Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Nick Martinez also left.

Still, this year’s version of the Padres has more swagger, more confidence and more braggadocio.

The more you cuss them out along the way, the more you taunt them, the more you swear at them, the more the Padres enjoy shutting everyone up.

“I think it’s something that as a player,” said pitcher Michael King, who starts for the Padres on Tuesday, “you have to feed off of it. You have to add it to your game and make the pressure an extra privilege.

“You know you’re playing a child’s game, but when there are thousands of fans protesting and booing you, it’s much more fun.”

The Padres, who played to a sold-out crowd of 56 at Petco Park this year and drew a franchise-record 3.3 million fans, are expecting a pretty cheerful crowd. They don’t expect reprisals from their own fans. Beach balls can end up on the field, but not beer bottles.

It will be a rough environment, only this time, with the Dodgers feeling the heat.

“Obviously that team over there,” Roberts said, “loves a villainous role and they feed off of that. So whatever gets us going…

“It will be hostile. It will be loud and boisterous. And it’s up to us to stay focused and compete and fight.”

If not, it could be the Dodgers’ third straight year of being one-and-done in the postseason, and another long winter in Los Angeles to find out why they’re a beast in the regular season, but unable to win in the postseason. October.

“I think there’s pressure on both teams,” Roberts said. “It is a very important match. It is a very crucial game. …

“I know the players just want to play baseball and the fans want to cheer on their team.”

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