Emotions high in Padres-Dodgers NLDS Game 2

LOS ANGELES — We were reminded on Sunday night that the rivalry between the Dodgers and Padres isn’t merely geographical and intradivisional. It’s also filled with a history of mutual dislike.

That all, predictably, bubbled to the surface at Dodger Stadium during the Padres’ 10-2 victory in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

By the sixth inning, the tone took a sharp turn.

First, Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty drilled Fernando Tatis Jr. in the left leg with an 0-1 fastball. Tatis, who hit a homer off of Flaherty in the top of the first, took first base. As home-plate umpire John Libka stepped away for a moment, Dodgers catcher Will Smith and the next batter, Profar, began jawing with each other before being separated.

The at-bat ended with a bunt single for Profar that put two men on.

After Profar’s bunt single, Flaherty struck out Manny Machado for the first out and then started yelling at the Padres’ third baseman. Flaherty was lifted from the game but continued to exchange words with Machado from the home dugout during the rest of the inning.

Before the bottom of the seventh, as the Padres took the field, two baseballs were thrown by fans in left field, toward Profar. Umpires and security intervened quickly and Padres teammates — along with manager Mike Shildt — gathered together on the shallow outfield grass for an extended conversation.

The game was delayed for several minutes as order was restored and the public address announcer twice warned fans against throwing objects onto the field.

Back in April, Profar was at the center of a benches-clearing incident between the two teams after he was nearly hit by a pitch. Smith said after the game that Profar is “kind of irrelevant.” The next day, Profar hit a game-winning bases-loaded double. Padres teammates created T-shirts that said “Relevant,” featuring Profar’s picture.