The Dodgers and Padres had been grinding away throughout the night in their first meeting of 2021 like two warriors in a ring.
And afterward in the bottom of the tenth inning of a tie game at Petco Park, they came considerably nearer.
After Los Angeles’ Dennis Santana hit Jorge Mateo to put runners on first and third with one out, they traded words and approached each other as Mateo walked toward first base. Players from the two teams hurried in, out of the dugouts and bullpens, however before any punches were thrown, things quieted down.
By then, Santana assembled himself and fanned Victor Caratini. He at that point walked Trent Grisham to load the bases. With the expected winning sudden run on third, Fernando Tatis Jr. went to the plate in his first game back from the injured list.
Santana won this strained fight, discovering Tatis looking on a called strike three to send the game to the 11th. Los Angeles at that point proceeded to win, 11-6, in the twelfth.
“I just think that Mateo just took exception. There was certainly no intent,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I’m glad that it got resolved and Dennis regained his composure to get out of that inning.”