Dodger Stadium fans disrupt the Padres' 10-2 win over the Dodgers

During the game, fans hurled baseballs at San Diego left fielder Jurickson Profar and subsequently littered the field with trash, causing a considerable delay before the Padres achieved a 10-2 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night, thereby equalizing their NL Division Series at one game apiece.

Yu Darvish effectively contained the Dodgers' formidable offense, allowing only one run and three hits across seven innings, while Fernando Tatis Jr. made a notable impact by hitting two home runs, contributing to the Padres' postseason record of six homers.

David Peralta and Jackson Merrill each contributed with two-run homers, while a limping Xander Bogaerts and Kyle Higashioka added solo home runs. At the age of 21, Merrill became the youngest player in Padres history to hit a postseason home run.

“Six of them is a special treat for us,” Merrill remarked.

The interruption during the seventh inning resulted in a 12-minute pause between pitches, triggered by the throwing of two balls from the stands towards Profar. He attempted to retrieve one, but a security officer intervened first. Debris was left scattered on the warning track near the Padres' bullpen.

“I feel like when it went over the line, when they started throwing stuff onto the field,” Tatis expressed. “I felt like that should not be happening in a big league game.”

The sellout crowd of 54,119 at Dodger Stadium expressed their discontent through persistent booing, marking the largest attendance of the season.

“The bear has been poked for quite some time—over the years and decades,” remarked Merrill. “We finally possess the necessary firepower and the team capable of challenging them. They are a formidable opponent. I admire their style of play; they provide us with a tough contest every time. They never relent.”

As Padres manager Mike Shildt and his team gathered in shallow left field, security personnel swiftly entered the field. They were accompanied by the umpiring crew, seemingly attempting to identify any potential troublemakers in the audience.

“We were seeking a stronger security presence in the left-field corner to prevent any further misconduct,” stated crew chief Dan Bellino to a pool reporter. “We aimed to ensure that if anyone threw anything onto the field, they would be promptly identified and removed from the stadium.”

The Dodgers did not provide an immediate response regarding whether any arrests had been made.

Manny Machado took the initiative to rally his teammates in the dugout before the game resumed.

The Dodgers have faced defeat in four consecutive Game 2s and have lost seven of their last eight playoff matches.

The best-of-five series will continue in San Diego on Tuesday.

In the sixth inning, Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty hit Tatis with a pitch, leading to an exchange of words between Profar and Dodgers catcher Will Smith.

“There is too much at stake in this important series to be throwing at players,” Tatis commented. “When he hit me, it only fueled my energy. My teammates also energized me.”

The Dodgers believed they had equalized in the bottom of the first inning when Mookie Betts launched a deep fly to the corner, prompting left field umpire Adrian Johnson to signal a home run.

However, Profar managed to secure the ball despite the outstretched arms of fans, catching it in the webbing of his glove. He displayed minimal reaction to his remarkable catch, stepping back while gazing at the astonished crowd.

Merrill commented on Profar's playful interaction with the fans, stating, “That was quite amusing. He is clearly enjoying himself, playing with the enthusiasm of a child, which I find delightful.”

Subsequently, there were exchanges of words between the fans and Profar.

The Dodgers faced a setback with first baseman Freddie Freeman, who exited after five innings due to discomfort from a sprained right ankle. In his two at-bats, he recorded a strikeout and a flyout. Freeman sustained the injury on September 26 and has been striving to regain his health in time for the playoffs.

Similar to Game 1, the Padres quickly established a 3-0 lead. Tatis hit a home run in the first inning off Flaherty, and former Dodger Peralta contributed a two-out, two-run homer in the second inning.

Darvish recorded three strikeouts and issued two walks against his former team, successfully neutralizing fellow Japanese player Shohei Ohtani, who struck out and grounded out twice against him.

“I was observing how he responded to some of the pitches I was throwing,” Darvish explained through an interpreter. “Additionally, I aimed to keep him off-balance by holding the ball a bit longer. I believe that strategy worked effectively.”

Ohtani concluded the game with no hits in four at-bats, including another strikeout. Mookie Betts also remained hitless for the sixth consecutive playoff game.

Pitching near his hometown of Burbank, Flaherty allowed four runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings, becoming the first Dodgers starter to pitch into the sixth inning of a postseason game since Max Scherzer in 2021.

In the ninth inning, Max Muncy hit a home run for the Dodgers.