Former SportsCenter anchor Keith Olbermann took to X (formerly Twitter) following Thursday’s heated clash between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, calling for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to be suspended for a month due to his role in escalating tensions.
“Dave Roberts should be suspended for a month,” Olbermann posted. “What a childish, amateurish, unprofessional job of making a bad situation exponentially worse.”
The incident began after Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch for the second time in the series. Padres manager Mike Shildt emerged from the dugout, yelling toward Roberts. Roberts confronted Shildt on the field, and after a verbal exchange, shoved him—prompting both benches to clear.
Roberts later defended himself, saying, “I think anyone knows there was no intent there. I didn’t feel good about Tatis — great player, good guy — getting hit. … (Shildt) comes out, and he’s yelling at me and staring me down. That bothers me.”
Things escalated further when Shohei Ohtani was hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, after both managers had already been ejected. Padres pitcher Robert Suarez was immediately tossed, and although Dodgers players looked ready to storm the field again, Ohtani calmed the situation by signaling them to stay back.
Over the course of the four-game series, eight batters were hit, with both Tatis and Ohtani getting plunked twice. The Dodgers claimed the first three games but dropped the finale despite a late push.
With two more matchups remaining between the rivals before the season ends, the baseball world will be watching closely as tensions simmer.
The Dodgers currently lead the NL West, while the Padres, struggling with just 17 wins in their last 40 games, have slipped to third. Los Angeles next faces the Washington Nationals, who snapped an 11-game losing streak Thursday with a walk-off win against the Colorado Rockies. The series opener is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PT.
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