Game 2 of the NLDS between the Dodgers and Padres turned into pure chaos layered over a good ballgame. Fernando Tatis Jr. opened with a blast and never let up, clashing with Dodgers fans in the outfield and flexing after highlight plays. Mookie Betts tried to answer but Jurickson Profar robbed him with a home run grab, punctuated by a stare-down and a playful return toss to a disappointed fan. That moment set off a chain reaction. When some fans started throwing balls and drinks at Profar and Tatis, tempers boiled. Tatis danced through the hate, taunting the crowd as security started tossing fans.
On the field, things got tense with Jack Flaherty and Manny Machado jawing after Flaherty got out of a jam, then tensions spiked when Machado fired a warmup ball toward the Dodgers dugout. It bounced near Dave Roberts, and the Dodgers weren’t happy. They complained to the league, and Flaherty had words. Flaherty and Machado clearly weren’t done with each other, and emotions ran high as the game slipped away from the Dodgers.
Late in the game, after a goofy team meeting, the Padres added runs with a two-out rally. A player hobbled around the bases after homering on a sore leg. The fans stayed in the spotlight too, with home run balls continuing to bounce around the stands and fans both celebrating and blowing easy catches. Tatis capped the night with another homer, flashing peace signs and staring down the crowd. Padres took the game, but the real story was the chaos between benches and fans and the back-and-forth trolling that turned a postseason game into a spectacle.