It’s not unusual to see a riotous atmosphere in California nowadays. Still, the one that unfolded on the field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday took more than a few by surprise.
In a game that was all but over with the Padres up 5-0 in the top of the ninth inning, Dodgers reliever Jack Little hit Padres star Fernando Tatis in the elbow, sending the outfielder to the ground in obvious pain.
Padres manager Mike Shildt wasted no time getting out of the dugout and loudly voiced his frustrations to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who promptly responded by getting right back in Shildt’s face and bumping him.
Dodgers-Padres benches cleared after Fernando Tatís Jr. was hit by a pitch 😳 pic.twitter.com/qj78xAKCp9
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 20, 2025
The benches cleared, with some players trying to separate the two managers, while others attempted to get at each other. Efforts to separate Shildt and Roberts eventually succeeded, but seemed like they might ultimately fail as Roberts shouted to Shildt, saying he was going to “beat [his] ass!”
Dave Roberts during the Dodgers, Padres benches-clearing moment:
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 20, 2025
“I’m gonna beat your a**.”
pic.twitter.com/BaaHaMWY3I
Ultimately, enough players and umpires were on hand to keep the two middle-aged men apart from each other.
The Dodgers and Padres are longtime rivals, and no shortage of players who have found themselves on the receiving end of baseballs thrown by opposing pitchers. The Padres lost three of four at Dodger Stadium during this most recent series.
The hated National League West foes will face each other again in two months.
