LOS ANGELES, CA — The Padres in the NLDS with the Dodgers, sent a message that they would not be intimidated by pitchers either yelling at them or being hit by them and that they would not be intimidated by a crowd of 54,000 that, at times, was unruly and, at one point, dangerous. The craziness began in the first inning when Dominican superstar and 2020 National League LatinoMVP Fernando Tatis Jr., smacked a home run off Dodger starter Jack Flaherty to give the Padres a 1-0 lead.
Fernando Tatis Jr. gets the scoring started RIGHT AWAY! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/hjlvkWg696
— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2024
Then, in the bottom of the first inning, Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar, Willemstad, Curacao, went into the crowd to rob Mookie Betts of a home run. But Profar made it look like he didn’t catch the ball. The fans went wild, thinking it was a home run. Jurickson was having fun with the fans. That is who he is: just a guy having fun with the fans.
They really thought, huh? 馃槒 pic.twitter.com/Hn4j4371Ad
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 7, 2024
All the while, Flaherty was having trouble keeping the Padres from scoring runs. He hit the fifth-inning lead-off hitter Tatis in the upper left leg after Fernando had hit that home run and scorched a double in his previous at-bats. The next batter, Profar, then verbally confronted Dodger catcher Will Smith before he bunted his way onto first. When Flaherty struck out the next batter, 2022 NL LatinoMVP Manny Machado, the two got into a heated exchange that continued between dugouts after Flaherty was removed.
Jack Flaherty and Manny Machado are still chirping at each other 馃槼 pic.twitter.com/CsCa3wqVe4
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2024
Then the ballpark got downright scary when Profar returned to left field. A baseball was thrown at him from the seats in left field. When the umpires and security rushed out to get things under control, another ball was thrown at Profar. 聽His teammates rushed to protect him, and after about 10 minutes, the game resumed. Tatis was also the victim of objects being thrown at him in right field.
Things are getting heated at Dodger Stadium. pic.twitter.com/hfIWFoouiG
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2024
After Machado held a team meeting in the dugout, San Diego’s response was to hit four more home runs in the next two innings to bring their total to six (6) that night. Tatis went 3-4 with three runs scored, three RBIs and two home runs.
The Latinos are getting it done!
Manny Machado pulled the team together to have a meeting after everything that took place at Dodger Stadium pic.twitter.com/foU5F3GghJ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2024
The Padres spanked the Dodgers and their fans, 10-2, to even up the series at one game apiece. The series is now a best of two as it moves on to Petco Park in San Diego for the next two games, where the Padres fans are expected to be just as boisterous but hopefully not dangerous. It is unfair to blame a whole stadium of excited fans for the actions of a few idiots in a crowd of thousands.
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2020 NL LatinoMVP, looks to get the Padres past the Dodgers in the NLDS – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
We all expect it to be loud in San Diego, especially with the Padres making it extremely difficult for fans outside the counties surrounding San Diego to purchase tickets for the next two games between these two fierce rivals.
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