Padres, Cardinals clear benches for second straight game after unintentional hit-by-pitch

ST.

LOUIS Tempers flared Saturday between the St.

Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres when, for a second consecutive game, the benches and bullpens cleared after what appeared to be an unintentional hit-by-pitch.

Padres third baseman Manny Machado said after a 3-1 San Diego win that he and Cardinals coach Jon Jay are absolutely not friends.

The declaration came after the two Miami-area natives exchanged words on the field during a ninth inning in which Machado was hit for the second time in the game, this time by a ninth-inning pitch from Cardinals rookie Andre Granillo.

Advertisement I mean, poor kid.

...

I know he probably doesnt want to do that in that situation.

Obviously, you see him, what he does.

He just kind of feels bad, Machado said.

Youre just pissed off, you know? It is what it is.

I mean, there was nothing to it.

But then you got somebody else coming up and yapping their mouth.

Thats when s starts getting real.

Benches clear in St.

Louis after Manny Machado was hit for the second time tonight pic.twitter.com/oUCnqoy7dP Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 27, 2025 Despite warnings issued to both teams earlier in the game, home-plate umpire Lance Barrett deemed Granillo did not intentionally throw at Machado, and he was permitted to remain in the game.

Jay was ejected.

The warnings were issued in the top of the fifth, after Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore led off the inning by hitting Machado in apparent response to what Padres starter Randy Vasquez described as an unintentional, fourth-inning plunking of Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras.

That hit-by-pitch drew an angry reaction from Contreras, whom Padres starter Nick Pivetta hit the previous day.

It also came two innings after Liberatore unintentionally hit Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth.

Machado, the Padres franchise third baseman, said after Saturdays game that he was not surprised when Liberatore hit him.

You just take it, go to first, move on, Machado said.

You know, were all good.

He explained his reaction to Granillos ninth-inning pitch Machado cursed and glared toward the mound after a 95.9 mph fastball grazed his hand by saying he did not enjoy the experience of being hit multiple times in a game for the first time in his career.

As he continued to fume on his way to first base, both benches and bullpens spilled onto the field.

Contreras attempted to calm Machado, who appeared to relax.

Then, Jay said something to Machado, Machado yelled at the Cardinals coach and momentary jostling ensued.

Advertisement The scene was noteworthy because Machado and Jay once shared a public friendship .

We call ourselves the 305 Boys, Machado told ESPN in 2016 .

Its a tight group: me, Jon Jay, Yonder Alonso, Gaby Sanchez.

Asked by ESPN to describe a perfect day in Miami for the group, Machado said it would include a visit to Jays house, which is a boys dream he has every toy possible there.

Well Jet Ski.

We like to paddleboard.

We might play some dominoes.

Late Saturday, however, Machado scoffed when presented with the perception that his friendship with Jay remained intact.

Yeah, right, Machado said.

I know the real him.

When a reporter asked him to clarify whether they were still close, Machado said: No.

Absolutely not.

He declined to share the reason as well as what Jay had said to him on the field.

I was just having my teams back, but Im a coach, and I shouldnt have said anything, Jay said, declining to comment on further specifics.

Alonso, Machados brother-in-law and a former teammate of Jays for the Chicago White Sox and the University of Miami, posted a cryptic message Saturday night on X.

Yonder Alonso (@YonderalonsoU) July 27, 2025 Contreras, who has been hit a National League-high 17 times this year, has vocalized his displeasure regarding the uptick in hit-by-pitches several times this season.

He said he knew Vasquez did not hit him intentionally but things were getting old.

Pretty much fed up, Contreras said.

Im not trying to get injured or a broken hand, broken finger.

Thats enough.

I know theyre not trying to hit me on purpose, but when you get hit on the wrist like I did tonight, its really scary.

Weve been playing against the San Diego Padres for a long time, and weve never had beef like that.

But I already have 17 hit-by-pitches, and every pitch seems close to my hand.

Last year, (Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove) almost broke my hand (with a hit-by-pitch) in April.

Then, in August, I broke my finger by being hit by a pitch.

Advertisement Vasquez said he apologized to Contreras on the field.

I just told him, Hey, that was a bad pitch on my standpoint, Vasquez said through team interpreter Jorge Merlos.

It wasnt intentional as well.

I really dont like hitting batters, either.

I just told him, Hey, Im sorry.

Five innings later, Contreras was the one trying to ease tensions.

I was talking to Manny and saying that was not on purpose, Contreras explained.

It was the second time he got hit, but it was an 0-2 count.

(Granillo) is a new guy; hes not trying to hit you.

And (Barrett) told him that he didnt think it was on purpose.

If he thought otherwise, he would have thrown out Granillo.

Barrett also did not hand out an ejection in the bottom of the ninth when Padres closer Robert Suarez grazed Contreras with an 0-2 fastball.

Having everybodys back like we did tonight, I think thats the right way, Contreras said.

Hopefully, it ends there.

At least some of the tension started in Fridays second inning when Pivetta hit Contreras, the two exchanged words and the benches cleared.

Order was quickly restored.

Hes been doing that for years.

I think he thinks that he owns a certain part of the plate.

I mean, its a fastball, and I dont hit very many guys, Pivetta said after Fridays game.

For him to, like, stare at me and, at least I feel from my side, try to intimidate me and try to do stuff, thats the player that he is.

It doesnt mean that hes a bad player.

Hes a great player.

He plays baseball very well.

But Im not gonna back down.

Im gonna go out and do my thing.

Im gonna control the inside part of the plate, which I have been doing.

And it hit him on the elbow guard.

I mean, I havent gone back and looked at it, but I could probably guess that he was probably diving over the plate a little bit.

The Cardinals and Padres are scheduled to play four more times in the next seven days, with St.

Louis headed to San Diego for a three-game series beginning Friday.

(Photo: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images).

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