Tensions reached a boiling point in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ series opener with the San Diego Padres on Monday when Andy Pages took exception to being hit by a fastball from Dylan Cease.
Pages stared down Cease, which nearly caused both benches to clear. The 24-year-old said after the game that he felt the hit by pitch was intentional amid a belief he had relayed signs from second base.
As Pages gestured in the direction of Cease, Padres manager Mike Shildt was caught on camera shouting, “Who the [expletive] do you think you are?”
“I actually saw it this morning,” Pages said through an interpreter after the Dodgers extended their winning streak to four games. “Obviously didn’t pay much attention to it. I left yesterday’s game behind and I focused on today.”
Pages quickly moved past the incident by going 4-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored in the Dodgers’ 8-6 win over the Padres on Tuesday. He is now batting a stellar .356 with 10 extra-base hits and 13 RBI in 16 games this month.
“I have a lot of confidence in the work I’m putting in, I have a lot of confidence in my plan and what I’m doing to prepare at the plate,” Pages said of his success.
“I’m finding pitches in the zone and hitting them as well as I can.”
Andy Pages happy to shift momentum
Pages began his night with a home run to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead and then hit a game-tying blast in the fourth, one inning after Shohei Ohtani was hit by a pitch and manager Dave Roberts got ejected.
“It was great,” Pages said of shifting the momentum back in favor of the Dodgers. “Great to tie the game and have that hit in that moment, but it was a little frustrating to see Ohtani, one of the greatest hitters in the league, get hit like that.
“Luckily nothing happened and no injuries from it, but obviously it was a little frustrating to see him get hit by a pitch.”
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