NLDS: LA Dodgers fan who threw first ball at Padres player in Game 2 speaks out

While the Dodgers suffered a tough loss in Game 2 of the NLDS, losing 10-2 to the San Diego Padres, tensions boiled over for fans at Dodger Stadium on a loud night at Elysian Park.

The game was stopped for nine minutes in the seventh inning when fans began throwing objects at San Diego Padres players.

“There’s no reason to ever throw anything at players, no matter what’s going on,” Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty said.

The excitement seemed to have started in the first inning. Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar robbed Mookie Betts of a home run and grabbed the ball from the stands.

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Later in the game, he handed a ball to a Dodger fan – who then threw it back onto the field. That fan was Mario Zazueta.

“Profar is having fun and looking directly at me. I said, ‘I don’t want to do that,'” Zazueta said. “I said, ‘No, I’ll throw it.’ He just handed me the ball with a big grin. Once I get the ball, I just turn around and throw it over the line.

Seconds later, another ball is thrown near Profar. And as other items reached the field, security guards swarmed the outfield.

Zazueta was eventually ejected from the game. He said he understood why, although he was a little upset that other fans started throwing things onto the field, which sparked that break in play.

“It just leaves a black eye on the Dodger market because 99.9% of the people aren’t like that,” Zazueta said. “You get these one percent figures that just kill everyone.”

The Dodgers did not comment on fans’ behavior Sunday night, but fans blamed the stoppage of play on Padres players who had the crowd cheering them on.

“When I saw the video of him actually taunting – if you look back and forth at what he was doing, I could see why – even if it wasn’t right – why he was throwing things on the field,” Dodgers said -Fan Javier Said Gonzalez.

Los Angeles police said there were no arrests at the stadium Sunday evening.

Game 3 of the NLDS is scheduled for Tuesday in San Diego.