Padres closer & manager disciplined for their actions against Dodgers

San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez, and manager Mike Shildt have been handed suspensions by Major League Baseball in light of Thursday’s feud with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Suarez received a three-game suspension for hitting Shohei Ohtani with a pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning on Thursday. The incident was likely in retaliation for the Dodgers hitting Fernando Tatis Jr. in the top half of the inning. Suarez was ejected from the game as the Padres would hang on to win 5-3. Padres manager Mike Shildt, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts were also handed one-game suspensions. 

The Padres and Dodgers traded several blows over the course of their three-game series this week, which reached a boiling point last night after Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch on his hand in the top of the ninth inning. The benches would clear, and Tatis Jr. was removed from the game. Soon after, Ohtani was plunked. 

Suarez indicated on Friday that the incident with Ohtani the night before was not intentional. 

“They can say whatever they want,” Suarez said per 97.3 The Fan San Diego. “That was not the case.”

Suarez is appealing his suspension, while Schildt and Roberts will serve their punishments. The right-hander is tied for the MLB lead in saves with 21, but has struggled of late, surrendering seven earned runs in his last three appearances, including a five-run meltdown against the Arizona Diamondbacks last week.