Profar hits slam after confrontation with Ruiz empties benches

SAN DIEGO -- You probably didn’t have Padres-Nationals as a budding, must-watch rivalry. But you should now.

The man at the center of it all: Jurickson Profar.

Benches cleared prior to Profar’s first at-bat in the first inning Tuesday night -- and that was only the start of the drama at Petco Park. Profar was plunked, Padres manager Mike Shildt got ejected, Manny Machado and Jesse Winker flaunted go-ahead home runs. Then Profar himself put an exclamation point on the proceedings with a decisive grand slam in San Diego’s 9-7 victory.

“Baseball gods, man,” Machado said with a laugh.

The drama began one night earlier. On Monday, Profar capped a wild four-run, 10th-inning rally with a walk-off single. The Nationals had opted to intentionally walk Luis Arraez to load the bases and pitch to Profar instead. During that at-bat, Washington reliever Hunter Harvey came high and tight with an 0-2 fastball, knocking Profar down. After the game, Profar was quick to say he felt “disrespected.”

When Profar walked it off, he celebrated in the center of the infield grass and gestured animatedly in the direction of the Washington dugout, though he later said he was pumping up the crowd. The Nationals didn’t take it that way.

Cut back to Tuesday. When Profar arrived at home plate, he was greeted with words from Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz. Ruiz said he had not planned to say anything to Profar, but it happened in the moment, with the adrenaline in the ballpark. Machado, on deck at the time, stepped between the two. But not before the dugouts and bullpens had already cleared.

“We were just having a conversation about what he did yesterday, but it was nothing really crazy,” Ruiz said. “We’re not going to hit him because that’s bad for him -- he’s having a good season, he’s having a great year. But I feel like I’ve just got to let him know he’s got to show us respect.”

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of Ruiz, who signed an eight-year contract before last season: “He felt like he needed to say something. Honestly, I was proud of him. I really was. Sometimes you carry emotions on your sleeve; sometimes you swallow it. But I like the fact that he stuck up for our guys.”

Profar reiterated that he meant no disrespect for the Nationals with any of his celebrations. As for the extracurriculars, he said: “I don't care about that stuff, always. I like to play baseball.”

Not much came of the incident itself, aside from a few animated conversations. However, after tensions settled and both benches had been warned, MacKenzie Gore’s first pitch was a fastball off Profar’s foot.

Both Martinez and Gore said it wasn’t intentional. And after the game, the Padres mostly agreed.

“I was like, ‘Uh oh,’ just because that happened right after everything,” Gore said.

Shildt, displeased that Gore wasn’t ejected, promptly emerged to argue and got himself run. He contended that a hit-by-pitch immediately after a warning should be grounds for immediate ejection. Crew chief Adam Hamari wasn’t having it.

“We did not feel that it was intentional,” Hamari said in a pool report. “... In order to eject a pitcher in that situation, we have to deem it intentional. That was not the case.”

Gore, a one-time Padres top prospect, remained in the game -- and Machado launched his next pitch into the left-field seats for a two-run homer.

Petco Park erupted. Machado practically walked to first base. Profar basically sprinted to third, then celebrated again in front of the Nationals dugout, though this time he made it clear he was gesturing toward the fans.

“I loved it,” Profar said. “It shows the things that we have in this clubhouse. We have a really good team, and we have each other's back.”

The Padres’ early lead was short-lived. Washington rallied for a four-run third inning, capped by Winker’s go-ahead two-run blast. Winker, who received boos during each of his at-bats after he was spotted jawing with a Padres fan the night before, strutted across the first-base bag after his ball left the yard.

“Emotions are high when everyone’s competing,” Winker said. “It’s baseball. People get excited; people are passionate. We’re all playing for our families, our kids, right? So everyone’s going to play differently, and that’s perfect. I’m an emotional player, as well. So I understand it."

Added Machado: “It’s more like a playoff game when you have that atmosphere. Both teams are going at it. … That’s fun. You’re just going back and forth at it, trying to be the bigger boss. It’s good for the game.”

Back-and-forth they went, until Profar came to the plate with one out in the bottom of the sixth and the Padres leading by a run.

A quick refresher on Profar: The Padres signed him out of the bargain bin in Spring Training -- a one-year, $1 million deal laden with incentives. He has since been their most valuable player, their best player, their emotional leader and, frankly, at the center of just about everything -- including a similar dustup with the rival Dodgers in Los Angeles in April.

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“Every time they poke that bear, that bear comes in swinging,” Machado said. “Keep poking him all you want. He carries us big time when they do.”

Profar has a slash line of .317/.410/.488 and is currently tops among all National League outfielders in wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. He also leads the position in All-Star voting, as he attempts to join Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield as the only Padres outfielders to start an All-Star Game.

In the sixth inning on Tuesday, Profar further solidified that case. Nationals reliever Derek Law threw a 2-0 cut fastball on the inner-half of the plate, and Profar turned on it, sending it just inside the right-field foul pole.

San Diego was on its way to a second straight victory over the Nats, both fueled by Profar. The two teams entered the series separated by half a game for the final NL Wild Card spot. Thus far, it’s advantage Padres.

Round 3 is Wednesday afternoon.