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The Los Angeles Dodgers took on the San Diego Padres for game two of a three-game series on April 13. The Dodgers would win the matchup 5-2 after losing in game one. However, an incident in the top of the fifth inning was what made headlines.
In the fifth inning, with one out and the Dodgers leading by one, Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar took exception to an inside pitch from Gavin Stone.
Profar exchanged words with Dodgers catcher Will Smith before returning to the box and then the benches cleared. After the game, Smith said the Dodgers wouldn’t throw at Profar because he is “irrelevant,” according to AM 570 LA Sports’ David Vassegh.
“I don’t know why we would have thrown at him. He’s kind of irrelevant,” said Smith. “He started mouthing off, and everybody came out. I don’t know why he was throwing such a big deal about that.”
Tempers Flare in Los Angeles
“It was just the heat of the moment,” Profar said, according to MLB.com’s Kyle Glaser. “I wasn’t trying to get the team energized or anything like that. We don’t need that. We have a good team.”
At the time of Profar’s dispute with Smith, 25-year-old Stone was throwing a perfect game. Profar squared to bunt the pitch prior and likely felt the inside pitch was a response to his bunt attempt.
“You take exception to a guy running something in on you tight. I think [Smith] maybe said something and maybe something was said back, I’m not really sure,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. “We’re not gonna start anything, but we’re not gonna take anything.”
The Padres would break up Stone’s perfect-game bid in the sixth inning and eventually tie the game. However, their bullpen blew the game allowing the Dodgers to set up a rubber match on April 14.
Profar’s History With the Dodgers
Profar does have some history with the Dodgers dating back to 2021. In 2021, Profar exchanged words with Clayton Kershaw after a catcher’s interference call. Kershaw felt Profar intentionally swung through the glove of catcher Austin Barnes.
“That’s a little scary. Barnes could’ve been seriously injured on that play,” Kershaw said after the game in 2021, according to MLB.com’s Toribo. “He basically swung straight down and backwards. I’m not saying it was intentional, but that was not a big league swing right there.”
At the time, Padres manager Jayce Tingler attributed the catcher’s interference to Kershaw tunneling his pitches.
“Kershaw tunnels his pitches so well, and it’s tough to see the rotation,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. “I definitely, 100 percent, do not believe that Profar is trying to do that. I believe he’s up there battling, doing everything, seeing it deep. It’s tough to pick up rotation. Profar’s not going to go up there and try to hit the guy’s glove. He’s up there battling.”
Profar made his major league debut in 2012 for the Texas Rangers. Profar is slashing .217/.298/.315 against the Dodgers in his career. He has hit four home runs and collected 19 RBIs in 65 games against the Dodgers throughout his career.