Padres Manager Mike Shildt Has 'No Regrets' About Benches-Clearing Fight with Dodgers

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt discussed his involvement in a benches-clearing fight during the team's 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.

“You always review, and the one thing that I am responsible (for) is making sure we have a clean game,” Shildt said Friday, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. “The circumstances were really challenging this past series. And at the end of the day, I don’t regret standing up for a guy that I love in Tati and a team that I love and a city that I love and an organization that I love. So, in that regard, I have no regrets."

"As far as my actions, it’s not something that you want to do every night or needs to be done hopefully ever again," he added. "But appropriate actions for the circumstances were taken, and I don’t regret it at all.”

In the top of the ninth inning, Fernando Tatis Jr. was struck in the hand by a pitch from rookie Jack Little. Shildt came out of the dugout to check on Tatis before exchanging words with Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts.

The altercation between Shildt and Roberts quickly became heated, prompting both benches to clear. The two managers were eventually ejected.

In the bottom of the ninth, Robert Suarez hit Shohei Ohtani with a pitch and was also tossed from the contest.

Suarez received a three-game suspension from MLB on Friday, while Roberts and Shildt were suspended for one game apiece.

After Thursday's clash, Shildt explained that frustration built up after Tatis was hit with a ball from a Dodgers pitcher for the third time since June 10.

"And after a while, I'm not going to take it," Shildt said, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "And I'm not going to take it on behalf of Tati, I'm not going to take it on behalf of the team, intentional or unintentional. It's really that simple. That's how this game is played. And if you want to call that old-school, then yeah, we'll play old-school baseball."

Both the Dodgers and Padres are looking to return to the postseason in 2025, with Los Angeles defeating San Diego in five games during their battle in the 2024 National League Division Series.

The Dodgers sit atop the NL West standings with a 46-30 record, while the Padres own the No. 3 spot in the division at 40-34.

The next time both squads are set to face off is on Aug. 22.