Everything happened in the first inning of Tuesday’s game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals: a manager ejection, a home plate collision, and a two-run home run to cap it all.It all started at the bottom of the first inning when Padres catcher Jurickson Profar was about to bat for the Nats when Padres catcher Keibert Ruiz seemed to physically assault Profar. After the Padres won the series opener on Monday 7-6 thanks to Profar’s walk-off, two-run single, he appeared to make a small gesture toward the Washington dugout the previous evening. After a furious altercation between Ruiz and Profar, benches cleared, and play soon resumed.
Profar was struck by a 98-mph fastball from Washington lefty MacKenzie Gore on the following pitch, but he was not removed from the game. Mike Shildt, the manager of San Diego, was ejected after entering the field to dispute with an umpire.The first pitch that Padres slugger Manny Machado saw from Gore was a yard ball, and he scored a two-run home run to bring the exciting events of the first inning to a resounding close.
Here is broadcaster Don Orsillo of the Padres discussing the thrilling call:
“Manny Machado, try to get them to pay! Manny Machado yells, “Take THAT, high ride, deep left field, Winker back at the wall!” Profar is enraged, and rightfully so—they purposefully hit him before Manny hits one out of the yard! And it’s 2-0 for the Padres! What a pair of apples! Five innings later, in the sixth inning against Derek Law, Profar would hit a grand slam. The Padres went on to defeat the Nationals, 9-7, in another exciting game between the two clubs.
What a match.
