Profar hits a grand slam 5 innings after dustup to boost the Padres to a 9-7 win vs. the Nationals
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jurickson Profar hit a grand slam five innings after being in the middle of a benches-clearing dustup, and Manny Machado also hit a dramatic home run as the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 9-7 on Tuesday night in another wild game between the teams.
Profar’s fourth career grand slam and second this season came with one out in the sixth off Derek Law and the Petco Park crowd went wild. Profar craned to watch the ball sail just inside the foul pole and into the home run porch in right field. He tossed his bat aside, patted his chest and gestured to the Padres’ dugout as he began his trot.
Profar, having a career year at 31 and on a $1 million contract, is leading the balloting for NL outfielders for the All-Star Game. It was his 11th homer this season.
Profar said emotions had nothing to do with his grand slam.
“I just have the bases loaded, again, and I was trying to come through for my team,” he said.
With one out in the first, Washington catcher Keibert Ruiz jawed at Profar and put a hand on his shoulder just before his at-bat.
Machado, who was on deck, then put a hand Ruiz’s shoulder as he got in between them, and players and coaches from both teams swarmed onto the field.
Asked to share what happened, Profar said, “Nothing, man, I don’t care about that stuff, always. I like to play baseball. That’s me.”
Profar took exception to Ruiz touching him.
“You can talk, but you can’t touch. At the same time, I’m in a situation that I’ve got to be smart and I don’t want to get suspended or thrown out of the game. It wouldn’t be good for my team.”
It didn’t appear that any punches were thrown. Plate umpire Brian Walsh warned both teams, and then Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore hit Profar with a pitch but wasn’t ejected.
Padres manager Mike Shildt came onto the field and was ejected by third base umpire Adam Hamari.
Hamari told a pool reporter that the umpires didn’t feel that Gore’s pitch was intentional and that Shildt was ejected for “continuing to argue after being warned.”
Machado then drove the first pitch he saw from Gore (6-7), who made his big league debut with the Padres in 2022, for a two-run home run to send the crowd into a frenzy. Machado watched the ball fly into the seats in left, tossed his bat aside and gestured toward the Padres’ dugout.
The Nationals apparently felt that Profar trolled them after hitting a walk-off, two-run single in the 10th inning in Monday night’s 7-6 win. The Nationals intentionally walked MLB hits leader Luis Arraez to get to Profar, and then Hunter Harvey threw a knockdown pitch. The Nationals had scored three runs in the top of the 10th before the Padres scored four to win it.
After rounding first base, Profar ran to the team celebration and then jogged along the third base side, clapping to the fans, passing Washington's dugout along the way.
“Yesterday after that celebration they told me there were players upset,” he said. “I didn’t even know about them. Who cares. I don’t really care about that stuff.”
Asked if he thought Gore’s pitch was intentional, Profar said: “I thank my on-base percentage.”
Shildt said he didn’t think the pitch was intentional, but wasn’t happy he was ejected.
“I got ejected across the field,” he said. “If you’re going to warn both teams, and the guy gets hit 98 (mph) who’s in the middle of all the issue, we’ve got to do something about that. And it was clearly, ‘No we’re not.’ And so when I realized that immediately, I came out like, ‘He’s got to go.’ So I got thrown out.”
The Nationals took a 4-2 lead Tuesday night on five hits — three of them for extra bases — off rookie Adam Mazur (1-2) in the third. Jesse Winker hit a two-run homer, Lane Thomas had an RBI triple and Jacob Young hit a run-scoring single.
The Padres jumped back into the lead at 5-4 in the fifth on Jake Cronenworth’s RBI single and Donovan Solano’s two-run single.
Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his 20th save.
Mazur, recalled from Triple-A El Paso after Yu Darvish developed elbow inflammation, allowed four runs and six hits in five innings in getting his first big league win.
Gore also went five, allowing five runs and five hits.
CJ Abrams had three hits, including an RBI single in the ninth, and walked twice.
UP NEXT
Nationals LHP DJ Hertz (1-1, 4.50 ERA) and Padres RHP Dylan Cease (6-6, 4.14) are scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday.
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