Tensions flared early between the Dodgers and Padres in this one. Dustin May struggled in the second inning, botching a bunt play and then walking batters until Trent Grisham stepped up. Grisham, possibly rocking an unzipped fly as a superstition or just absent-mindedness, worked the count and then crushed a three-run homer, ending May’s night early. Fans booed and cheered with equal energy, and one woman even dropped her phone mid-inning. Emotions were running high.
After Grisham’s homer, May hit Jorge Alfaro on the very next pitch, raising eyebrows. The benches didn’t clear, but everyone seemed on edge. In the next inning, Padres pitcher Mike Clevinger plunked Mookie Betts. If it was retaliation, it backfired, since Alfaro had already been hit once. Both sides acted like it was no big deal, but the mood stayed tense. The Dodgers answered back with a Freddie Freeman sac fly to close the gap to 3-2.
Despite all the chaos, the game ended in a tie, though the recap didn’t make clear when or how the Padres got their final run. Pitchers showed plenty of frustration throughout, with exaggerated reactions and awkward body language. Both teams missed chances, and tempers simmered under the surface the whole way.