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Dodgers-Padres Rivalry Escalates After Three Hit By Pitches Tuesday Night

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sam Bernardi | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 11:25 AM ET

Tension remains high between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.

These National League West foes have had three postseason run-ins since 2020, igniting the rivalry to unparalleled heights.

It all started on Monday night, when Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages was drilled by Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease. Pages took exception to Cease’s actions, to which Manny Machado responded:

“They got way more superstars over there if we want to hit somebody. They’ve got some big dogs over there we could hit…. Rooting for him, but it’s just part of the game.”

Those big dogs were targeted during Tuesday’s matchup.

In the top of the third inning, Los Angeles reliever Lou Trivino rode a sinker high and inside on Fernando Tatis Jr. Trivino’s reaction did not appear to indicate this was intentional, but the timing was certainly convenient.

Then, in the bottom half of the inning, San Diego returned the favor when pitcher Randy Vásquez hit Shohei Ohtani with a fastball on the upper leg. The biggest dog of them all, perhaps this is what Machado was hoping for.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hopped out of the dugout, rightfully upset with his injury-riddled superstar, the latest casualty in this war, and was ejected for arguing with the umpires.

Relatively peaceful baseball lasted for about four innings. Until, in the top of the seventh, the Dodgers’ Matt Sauer plunked Jose Iglesias in the forearm. It drew an emotional reaction from Machado, who exited to the Padres’ dugout to bark at the umpires.

The benches and bullpen have not fully cleared out for a scuffle, yet, but that feels inevitable the way these games and this rivalry have gone lately. The teams still have two more meetings this week and expect fireworks in each of them.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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