Dodgers Manager Calls Out Padres for Intentionally Hitting Ohtani After Tatis HBP

The bad blood between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers isn't slowing down anytime soon after both benches cleared in the ninth inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit with a pitch on his right hand by Jack Little.

Padres manager Mike Shildt came out to check on Tatis before getting into it with Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts, which prompted players from both dugouts to come onto the field.

In the bottom half of the inning, Padres closer Robert Suárez threw a 3-0 fastball at 100 mph that hit Shohei Ohtani in the back. Ohtani waved to the Dodgers dugout that he was okay and immediately jogged to first base.

Roberts told reporters after the Dodgers' 5-3 loss that Suárez was intentionally throwing at Ohtani as retaliation for the Tatis situation.

"This is a right-handed pitcher going crosscourt to hit Shohei up and in," Roberts said. "That's a hard throw. And I don't know how many left-handed hitters Suárez has hit with the fastball, but clearly there was intent behind it."

Suárez had not hit a batter with a pitch since Sept. 27, 2022, also against the Dodgers. The entire situation resulted in Shildt, Roberts, Suárez and Padres bench coach Brian Esposito being ejected.

Esposito, who was managing after Shildt got ejected, was tossed after Ohtani was hit because both teams received a warning following the situation in the top of the ninth.

Shildt's anger toward the Dodgers is understandable because Tatis has now been hit with a pitch by Los Angeles pitchers five times since the start of 2024 and three times in six games since June 10.

There were a total of eight players hit by a pitch in this four-game series between the two NL West rivals. It started on Monday when Andy Pages stared down Dylan Cease after being plunked in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Even though nothing significant came of that incident, Pages felt the pitch was intentional because the Padres thought he was stealing signs earlier in the game.

Shildt did note after the game Tatis' X-ray came back negative, but he's "not in a good place" right now. It's unclear if that means he will require a stint on the injured list.

The Dodgers took three out of four games in the series and have opened up a lead of five games over the Padres in the NL West. They won't play again until a three-game series at Dodger Stadium from Aug. 15-17.