Jun 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernández (37) reaches first on a single against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Los Angeles, California – The San Diego Padres came into this seven-game, 10-day stretch against their fiercest rivals hoping to turn the tide on a slow start to June. Instead, they’ve found themselves on the wrong end of both the scoreboard and a growing list of bruises.
On Monday night, the Dodgers debuted Shohei Ohtani on the mound for the first time since 2023, and though the Padres got to him early—with Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly putting San Diego up 1-0—their bats went quiet just as Ohtani found his rhythm at the plate. The two-way star tied the game with an RBI double and followed it with a run-scoring single as part of a five-run fourth inning that flipped the game. Padres starter Dylan Cease, dominant early with five straight strikeouts, unraveled in the middle innings, surrendering six runs across five frames.
Xander Bogaerts’ RBI double briefly gave San Diego a 2-1 lead, but the Dodgers swarmed back with surgical efficiency, stringing together opposite-field singles and timely hits. Machado’s solo shot in the sixth was one of few bright spots in a 6-3 loss.
Tuesday’s game turned even more volatile.
After Dodgers reliever Lou Trivino hit Fernando Tatis Jr. in the third—days after plunking him in Petco Park—the Padres responded in kind. Randy Vásquez fired a fastball that nailed Ohtani in the right quad, igniting dugout tension and leading to the ejection of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. The umpires issued warnings, but Roberts insisted the pitch was intentional, calling out the lack of consistency in officiating.
The chippiness didn’t end there. Jose Iglesias took a pitch to the wrist in the seventh (X-rays were negative), and Manny Machado loudly protested the lack of an ejection. Andy Pages, the rookie flashpoint of the series, went 4-for-4 with two homers—one day after being drilled by a Cease fastball and shouting at the mound. Cameras caught Padres skipper Mike Shildt barking from the dugout: “Who the [expletive] do you think you are?”
The Padres clawed back late with a two-run blast from Trenton Brooks and a bases-loaded balk, but ultimately fell 8-6. The Dodgers improved to 4-1 against the Friars this season, and the bad blood seems far from settled.
There are two more matchups to go in this high-tension series. The Padres need more than runs—they need resolve. Because this isn’t just a rivalry anymore. It’s war.
