Padres' Jurickson Profar Called 'Irrelevant' by Dodgers' Will Smith After Bench Clearing Incident
Dodgers backstop has strong words for Padres Jurickson Profar.
The second series between the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers have had all kinds of excitement. In the first game, the Padres mounted an impressive five-run comeback to win in extra innings 8-7.
The second game featured a benches-clearing incident after Dodgers pitcher Gavin Stone missed well inside to Jurickson Profar. After the pitch, Profar appears to have said something that Dodgers catcher Will Smith took exception to. This led to the benches clearing and the bullpens emptying for a two-team meeting at home plate.
When asked about the exchange after the game, Smith told David Vassegh of AM-570 "I don't know why we would have thrown at him...he's kind of irrelevant."
While Profar clearly thought Stone intended to hit him, it would have been a strange spot to do it. At that point in the fifth inning, Stone was flirting with a perfect game. Unlikely a young pitcher would want to ruin that by intentionally hitting a batter.
Still, calling a player "irrelevant" seems harsh coming from the generally mild-tempered backstop. Profar has arguably been the Padres' best batter this year leading the team in OPS and doubles.
This is not the first time this year that opposing pitchers have pitched inside to Padres batters this year. Padres manager Mike Shildt had some choice words for the Chicago Cubs after they pitched inside to, and nearly hit, Fernando Tatis Jr.
These two teams have a long history, and at times ugly, history with each other. While some do not recognize this as a rivalry, there's certainly no love lost between the clubs.