One of baseball’s most intense rivalries took a fiery turn on Tuesday night when San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Vasquez hit Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani in the third inning. When asked if it was intentional, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts was blunt.

“Absolutely,” Roberts, speaking after his team's 8-6 win, said when asked if he believes Vasquez hit Ohtani on purpose. “He hasn't come close. For me, if they feel that's warranted on their side — part of baseball, that's what they feel. I give him credit because they hit him in the leg. Own it, and we move on. It's not a misfire. I do feel it was intentional. Again, that's part of baseball, which we all understand.”

Vasquez’s first pitch to Ohtani in that third inning was an inside fastball that brushed the All-Star back. The second hit him directly on his right quad. Warnings were issued to both sides, which caused Roberts to argue and eventually earn his first ejection of the year.

The situation occurred a half-inning after Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by Dodgers reliever Lou Trivino.

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It was also not the first time that the series has gone down this road. On Monday night, Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages got hit by a fastball on his left elbow from Padres starter Dylan Cease. Pages barked at Cease after the pitch, and later said that he felt it was intentional.

The Dodgers and Padres long standing rivalry has received a boost over the past few years thanks in large part to the team’s Postseason history. San Diego defeated LA in the 2022 NLDS, and the Dodgers returned the favor in 2024 when they bounced the Padres in the same round after trailing 2-1 through the first three games of the series.

“I think it's fantastic,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said of the tension in this series. “Look, the best part about a rivalry is people are going to bring their best shot. Good news is both teams are bringing it every night. We love it. We can't do it, but I wish we played them every night.”

The two rivals will finish their four game set this week with games scheduled for both Wednesday and Thursday night in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series.