The San Diego Padres edged out the Los Angeles Dodgers by one run in Game 3 at Petco Park, with Fernando Tatis Jr. bringing some added motivation into Tuesday night’s game. Tatis Jr. homered, continuing his scorching postseason form, much to the frustration of Walker Buehler and the Dodgers.
His home run, complete with a celebratory bat flip, electrified the crowd at Petco. Although the Dodgers made a strong attempt to rally in the following half-inning, the Padres held firm, securing a 6-5 victory. This result leaves the Dodgers, who signed Shohei Ohtani over the winter, on the verge of elimination.
Fernando Tatis Jr. got revenge for fellow Padres star Manny Machado
Earlier on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of *The Athletic* released an article discussing the Padres’ Manny Machado, who found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons during Game 2. Machado tossed a baseball towards the Dodgers dugout, catching Dodgers manager Dave Roberts by surprise. This incident, along with some heated exchanges between Machado, the Padres, and Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty, has only fueled the rivalry.
“It was unsettling,” Roberts remarked regarding Machado’s actions in Game 2. “I’ve known Manny for years, and there was intent behind it. The ball didn’t almost hit me because of the net, but it felt disrespectful. I can’t speak to his intent, but I did see the video, and the ball seemed directed at me with purpose. I’m not sure what caused it.”
However, an alternate angle of Machado’s toss quickly dispelled Roberts’ concerns, showing that while Machado may have been sending a message, there was no extra force behind the throw.
Ken Rosenthal’s column got Fernando Tatis Jr.’s attention
This brings us back to Rosenthal, whose article on Tuesday stirred up some controversy. Fernando Tatis Jr. took particular notice of one remark, which he shared on social media after the game.
Rosenthal had written, “Machado is far from the Padres’ only irritant. Fernando Tatis Jr. is a smiling, dancing peacock,” calling out both stars. He also likened Jurickson Profar to “the kid who pulls the fire alarm at school and then asks, ‘Who, me?’”
Tatis Jr. didn’t need to respond with words. His performance on the field was the ultimate rebuttal. He’s currently slashing .500/.571/1.988 with three home runs this postseason, showing the Dodgers just how dangerous he can be. Los Angeles, fresh off their offseason signing of Shohei Ohtani, now finds themselves on the ropes.
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