Padres Skip Interviews After Critical Column in NLDS

The San Diego Padres decided to skip their usual in-game interviews with Fox Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal during Game 3 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This move was a response to an article Rosenthal wrote after Game 2, which criticized Manny Machado and other Padres players. Rosenthal described Machado's action of lightly tossing a ball into the Dodgers' dugout as a "punkish response" and gave it the nickname "Sinister Sling". He also wrote that Machado is comfortable with behavior that some might find unsportsmanlike and has no regrets about it. The article also had comments about other Padres players. Fernando Tatís Jr. was called a "smiling, dancing peacock", and Jurickson Profar was compared to a mischievous kid. In response to Rosenthal's comments, Tatís posted emojis of a dancing man and a peacock on his Instagram Stories after the Padres' win in Game 3.

The Dodgers weren't happy with Machado's action, especially manager Dave Roberts, who thought the toss was aimed at him. However, no video showed a particularly hard throw, and nobody was hit by the ball. The game was filled with tension. Profar and Tatís exchanged words with Dodgers fans, Tatís was hit by a pitch, and fans threw objects at Padres players. The incident involving Machado's ball toss became a major topic of discussion. Profar told reporters that all the drama from Game 2 had motivated the team. He said, "There's a lot of stuff going on, like all those lies, I don't know. The Dodgers are a great team, they don't need to do that. We just want to play baseball." He also pointed out that Tatís' dancing was a reaction to the fans' behavior.

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