LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers middle fielder Andy Pages took exception to a Dylan Stop fastball that plunked him on the left arm in Monday’s fourth inning, yelling towards the San Diego Padres’ beginning pitcher and prompting each managers, together with a small handful of gamers from each side, to congregate close to house plate.
Pages later stated he believes Stop threw at him deliberately, maybe, he added, as a result of the Padres thought he was making an attempt to select up the catcher’s indicators whereas residing on second base after a double within the earlier inning.
“I most likely should not have reacted like that, however he would not miss with a slider on the nook, but he can miss with a fastball?” Pages stated in Spanish after the Dodgers’ 6-3 win, noting that Stop missed inside by an entire quadrant.
The Dodgers led by a run with a runner on first, one out and the rely 0-1 when Stop’s 98 mph fastball caught Pages on the left elbow guard. Pages stood within the batter’s field and glared at Stop, then yelled one thing in his path earlier than taking his base. Benches didn’t clear. Stop remained in entrance of the mound and appeared shocked by Pages’ response.
“I did not perceive it,” Stop informed reporters. “It is not going to discourage me from throwing inside. I do not know if I’ve ever hit a Dodger earlier than. It simply occurs. It is a part of the sport.”
The incident fizzled rapidly, but it surely served as a reminder of the stress which may nonetheless hover over the Dodgers and Padres, two groups which have rapidly change into rivals whereas battling for Nationwide League West supremacy.
All of it got here to a head throughout the NL Division Sequence final fall, a matchup marked by Jurickson Profar moving into it with Dodger Stadium followers and a mini-controversy over whether or not Manny Machado was deliberately throwing a baseball into the Dodgers’ dugout. Ultimately, the Dodgers prevailed, shutting the Padres’ offense out for twenty-four consecutive innings to win Video games 4 and 5 whereas en path to a championship.
When the Dodgers arrived at Petco Park at the beginning of final week, it marked the most recent the 2 groups had ever met in a season since 2000. At that time, one recreation separated them within the standings. The Dodgers have gained three of the primary 4 conferences however will play three extra in opposition to them. They will not see the Padres once more till August.
Pages acknowledged that he didn’t react accurately to the hit by pitch however stated the adrenaline of the second took over. “I attempted to discover a solution to apologize,” he stated.
“They received far more superstars over there if we need to hit anyone,” Machado informed reporters in response to the Pages incident. “They have some huge canines over there we may hit. This recreation is loopy, proper, this rivalry. It is forwards and backwards. Enjoying this competitors, issues get heated. You need to go on the market and compete. He is having a helluva yr. He’ll proceed to have a helluva yr. Rooting for him, but it surely’s simply a part of the sport.”