Dave Roberts, Manny Machado war of words keeps Dodgers-Padres drama burning until August

The fireworks may have ended Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, but don’t expect the smoke to clear anytime soon. After seven games in 11 days — filled with beanballs, big hits, and maybe even a couple of bruised egos — the Padres and Dodgers left their latest series with more than just a few implications in the NL West division standings. They left with receipts.

The tipping point came in the ninth inning of the series finale, when Fernando Tatis Jr. was plunked again — his third time being nailed by Dodgers pitching in just over a week. The benches cleared. The dugouts emptied. And when the dust settled, it was clear. This isn’t just a rivalry, it’s a powder keg.

War of words erupts after Tatis HBP sparks benches-clearing Chaos

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offered a polished, if pointed, take on what happened.

“I think anyone would understand there’s no intent there,” Roberts said of reliever Jack Little drilling Tatis. “I didn’t feel good about Tatis — great player, good guy — getting hit. As [Padres manager Mike Shildt] comes out, and he’s yelling at me and staring me down, that bothers me because that’s the last thing I want. That’s why I took that personal because I understand the game and … intent vs no intent.”

Intent or not, Padres third baseman Manny Machado made it clear he’s not buying it.

After the game, Machado sounded like a man keeping receipts and counting down the days to their next matchup in August. “They gotta pray it comes back negative tomorrow,” he said, referring to the CT scan on Tatis’ arm. “They better pray.” The line wasn’t just protective—it was a shot across the bow. And the subtext was loud and clear: this isn’t over.

While cooler heads may eventually prevail, don't expect forgiveness to come easy in a rivalry that has featured everything from postseason eliminations to dugout taunts to mid-game memes on the Jumbotron. The Dodgers might have the upper hand in the standings, but the Padres are finding their voice — and they’re using it.

Mike Shildt’s vocal defense of his players drew criticism from Roberts, but for a Padres clubhouse that’s taken its lumps in silence, seeing their manager draw a line in the sand mattered. It was a message as loud as the moment. They’re not backing down.

With the next showdown between these two heavyweights not until August, the tension now simmers. But make no mistake — this isn’t over.