Columns

Socially Distanced Sports: A fierce rivalry has emerged in Southern California


May 22, 2021

By Adam Venezia
Staff Writer

There is a battle in California, and it is getting heated. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres faced off in a three-game series on April 23-25, which is just one of many series that will be played between them this season. 

The championship contenders were expected to have excellent games, and they did not disappoint. The first game was a blowout with the Padres winning 6-1, but the other two games were only decided by one run each.

The games were great, but the real entertainment came off the field. The young star of the Padres Fernando Tatís Jr. and 2020 Cy Young Award winner on the Dodgers Treavor Bauer got into it on Twitter.

The games were great, but the real entertainment came off the field.

Tatis was having a series to remember, charting seven hits, five of them being home runs. This was very impressive considering the Dodgers have one of the best pitching rotations in baseball right now. 

The 22-year-old was showboating a little, and he had every right to do so, but it was received poorly by the Dodgers. There were a couple of moments where tension rose because of the Padres’ celebration.

After the second game where Tatis hit two home runs, a video of Tatis started circling on Twitter where he appeared to be looking back at the catcher to get the signs, seeing what pitch was coming next. Bauer was the Dodgers’ pitcher that night, and he took to Twitter right away, tweeting, along with the video of the Tatis homerun: “If you need to know what pitch is coming next that badly, just ask.” This warranted a response from Tatis. The two went back and forth on Twitter, and they weren’t being friendly.

This rivalry between two of the best players and two of the best teams is going to bring excitement to every series they play, especially if they meet in the playoffs. The future of these teams is bright, and this little rivalry will only make each team play better. It’s going to be an exciting baseball season, especially when these competitors from Southern California hit the field.

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