Dave Roberts Fuels Padres-Dodgers Rivalry With All-Star Decision
The Padres-Dodgers rivalry has never been subtle, but Dave Roberts just threw gasoline on the fire, and Padres fans are not having it.
During the MLB All-Star Game, Roberts made the controversial decision to pitch every single National League reliever, including three heavily-used Padres bullpen arms. On the surface, that might seem like equal treatment. In reality, it looked a lot like favoritism, with Roberts protecting his Dodgers players while sending exhausted Padres pitchers to the mound.
Read More: Padres Announcer Shades Dodgers in All-Star Voting Battle
Overworked and Undervalued
Let’s talk numbers. The Padres bullpen was elite in the first half:
- 2nd-best bullpen ERA in MLB (3.20)
- Tied for 2nd in bullpen fWAR (5.0)
But they were also overworked.
- Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon: 47 appearances each
- Robert Suarez: 43 appearances
All three are tracking for 70+ games, a workload only 23 relievers reached last season. Yet Roberts still pushed all three into the All-Star spotlight.
And it didn’t go well. The trio combined to give up four runs while recording just two outs.
Dave using all three extremely overworked Padres relievers in an exhibition game. pic.twitter.com/VBfUQCNg09
— rich (@rich_roberts) July 16, 2025
That’s what really stings. While Roberts gave Padres pitchers no rest, his Dodgers players got off easy:
- Clayton Kershaw didn’t even finish his inning
- Freddie Freeman, the only NL starter without two plate appearances
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn’t play at all
Roberts used Jason Adam to get Kershaw’s third out. That one move was enough to set Padres fans off. It felt deliberate, and frankly, kind of petty.
Was it strategic? Was it disrespectful? One thing’s clear: Padres fans feel burned.
With only two days of rest before the second half, fans are hoping this doesn’t haunt the team’s playoff push. And if the Padres do manage to take the NL West crown, you can bet Roberts’ All-Star antics will be remembered as part of the motivation.
This rivalry just got personal.
Read More: Shohei Ohtani Pokes Fun at Suarez After All-Star Dust-Up
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