It has been over three weeks since the Padres played against the Dodgers, but the bad blood between these two does not seem to have faded away just yet. Controversies, close games, benches clearing, and whatnot, the Dodgers-Padres series had it all. After the defeat in Los Angeles, the Friars have gone on to win four out of their next six series and are heading to the MLB All-Star with a win over the Diamondbacks.

Still, the Padres’ slugger Fernando Tatis Jr., who was the center of all the controversies during the dramatic series last month, did not hesitate to take a shot against Shohei Ohtani’s team, which is going through a massive slump, losing six games in a row.

During the Sunday Night game against the Rangers, Tatis Jr. was mic’d up by ESPN, a traditional in-game interview. The Padres slugger was asked to name his favorite ballparks to play at, apart from Petco Park. Tatis started the names with Citi Field. But he did not mention Dodger Stadium, where he has smacked 12 home runs in 38 games so far.

Instead, he remarked Dodger Stadium as his last favorite place, saying, “definitely does not enjoy Dodger Stadium.“

Tatis took a direct dig at the Dodgers—and that too, during a live game broadcast on ESPN! And this is not the first time that Tatis has taken a jab at Dodger Stadium. During the last Padres-Dodgers series, he was asked about the fans’ cheerful reaction when he was hit by a pitch, and his response was typical. “Everybody knows Dodgers fans.” He further reiterated that he didn’t like to play at Dodger Stadium. “I just don’t like it.”

Now, by repeating himself, Tatis has confirmed his dislike for Dodger Stadium, despite his impressive figures at the venue. Amid all this, the Dodgers couldn’t have picked a worse time to ignite the controversy by removing Tatis’ plaque from the stadium. In 2021, Tatis hit a 467-foot homer at Dodger Stadium—one of the longest ever at the venue. As per the Dodgers’ custom, they commemorated the hitting spot with a plaque.

However, due to some damage, the plaque was removed. Although a new one has been promised, the timing couldn’t be worse for escalating the situation. While the plaque should have been reinstalled by now, there has been no update on whether this has happened.

Decorated rivalry of Padres-Dodgers far from over

Since the first game between the Dodgers and Padres in 1969, both teams have faced each other 970 times. The result? The Dodgers lead the series, with 535 wins over the Padres. But don’t get fooled into considering it a one-sided affair. This rivalry is much more than that.

The bad blood started flowing after the Padres had shed their underdog skin over the last few seasons. For instance, in the last 20 games between the Dodgers and Padres, the Dodgers have won 11, while the Padres have won 9. It’s been a close, toe-to-toe battle between the two teams. However, there were events like the 2022 NLDS, where the Padres defeated the Dodgers 3-1, that have ignited a new-era rivalry.

Just when it seems that the bad blood has subsided, a new source of tensions emerges. The next year saw another episode of this new-age rivalry, and again, Tatis was in the middle. The 2023 series saw multiple batters hit by a pitch, raising suspicions of retaliation and targeted pitching. In fact, Tatis was hit twice in the span of two games, sparking outrage from the Padres’ dugout. It was another instance where the benches cleared, though no punches were thrown.

The message was clear: this wasn’t just competitive baseball, it was something more. This time, Tatis’ remark confirmed that the rivalry is far from over, and there are surely more clashes to come.