Profar, Machado make Nationals pay after benches clear
The San Diego Padres sought immediate revenge after Washington Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore hit Jurickson Profar with a pitch following a benches-clearing incident in the first inning of Tuesday's game.
Padres third baseman Manny Machado took Gore deep, crushing the first pitch he saw before celebrating emphatically.
San Diego. IT'S LOUD. pic.twitter.com/NF9WzN2WsK
— MLB (@MLB) June 26, 2024
The fracas started when Profar, who gestured at the Nationals' dugout after recording a walk-off hit Monday, exchanged words with catcher Keibert Ruiz at the plate.
Benches cleared in San Diego before Jurickson Profar's first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. pic.twitter.com/LKA0hfd0ol
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) June 26, 2024
Padres manager Mike Shildt was ejected from the contest after voicing his displeasure that Gore didn't get tossed for plunking Profar.
The 31-year-old Profar then blasted a grand slam off reliever Derek Law to break the game open in the sixth inning.
Jurickson Profar sends San Diego into a frenzy with a grand slam! 😎 pic.twitter.com/SfSNykyTZW
— MLB (@MLB) June 26, 2024
The Friars went on to beat the Nationals 9-7.
Profar said postgame that Ruiz and other Nationals players weren't happy with how he celebrated the day before, and he voiced his displeasure with how Ruiz approached him.
Jurickson Profar said Keibert Ruiz and some other Nats players weren't happy about Monday's celebration, which Profar insists was directed at the fans. Profar, meanwhile, wasn't happy that Ruiz put a hand on his shoulder. "You can talk, but you can't touch," Profar said. (1/2)
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) June 26, 2024
"Every time they poke that bear, that bear comes in swinging," Machado said when asked about Profar finding himself in the center of controversies this season, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. "Keep poking him all you want. He carries us big time when they do."
The Padres play the finale of their three-game set against the Nats on Wednesday. Dylan Cease takes the bump for San Diego eyeing the sweep against lefty DJ Herz.