Everyone knows there is no love lost between the Dodgers and Padres.
As two premier Southern California MLB teams competing in the same division, a rivalry is inevitable between Los Angeles and San Diego fans. That's what made their 2024 National League Divisional Series pairing so exciting, knowing there would be some extra juice behind every individual game.
Fans took that rivalry a step too far during Game 2 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium, though.
The Dodgers' faithful were frustrated with the way the game was trending, trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning. An unknown fan tried to insert themselves into the contest, throwing a baseball from the stands at Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar.
Profar wasn't pleased with the dangerous action from the crowd, to say the least. The game was delayed over 10 minutes as security lined the field and tried to identify the fan in the bleachers.
For more on the delay during Dodgers-Padres, The Sporting News has you covered below.
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What happened in Dodgers-Padres?
Game 2 of the Dodgers vs. Padres NLDS was delayed for over 10 minutes in the bottom of the seventh inning after a Los Angeles fan threw a baseball from the stands at San Diego outfielder Profar.
Profar was animated about the situation, needing to be held back by teammates as the umpires and stadium security attempted to identify the unknown fan.
Things are getting heated at Dodger Stadium. pic.twitter.com/hfIWFoouiG
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2024
Security lined the warning track and stormed the left field section of the bleachers to try and defuse the situation. An announcement was made over the PA system stating the obvious, telling fans not to throw things on the field.
Play eventually resumed, and San Diego broke the game open even more once it did.
Jackson Merrill and Xander Boegaerts hit home runs in the top half of the eighth inning, then Kyle Higashioka and Fernando Tatis Jr. hit home runs in the top half of the ninth inning.
Before you could blink, the Padres' three-run lead ballooned to 10-1, using the delay as motivation to bury the Dodgers and even the series 1-1.
Why did a Dodgers fan throw a baseball at Jurickson Profar?
The fan was never identified, so their motivation remains in question. But anyone watching the game could make a very educated guess as to why Profar was their target.
The Padres outfielder made a ridiculous play earlier in the game, jumping into the crowd to rob a game-tying Mookie Betts home run in the bottom of the first inning.
JURICKSON PROFAR ROBS MOOKIE!!! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/bvByqwsAKB
— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2024
Profar clearly had some words for the crowd after his web gem, which likely sparked the frustration that led to the fan's explicable actions later on in the contest.
