Dodgers Fan Pulls Clever 'Switcheroo' After Catching Manny Machado HR

A Dodgers fan pulled a clever switcheroo when he caught a home run from the division rival Padres.

The man in attendance on Sunday at Chavez Ravine caught a home run ball from Manny Machado, sworn villain of the Dodgers.

The solo home run drew first blood at the top of the fourth, giving San Diego a 1-0 lead. A Dodgers fan came down with the homer and threw the ball back on the field. 

It was the ultimate proof of loyalty to his boys in blue. 

Imagine hating a divisional rival so much that you're willing to toss their home run ball in the trash. It was a moment almost too good to be true.

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But the fan acknowledged that the ball he threw was a spare ball sitting in his jacket pocket. His admission came after the ESPN cameras caught the switcheroo on a replay. To the fan's credit, he meticulously planned for the possibility of catching a Padres homer. With an impressive sleight of hand, the Dodgers fan nearly got away with it too. The fan's follow-up interview with ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball crew was just as viral as the catch and throw.  

"I got caught," he started, "but every ball hawk out here knows to come prepared for a reason like this. A hated Padre hits a home run, if you don't throw it back you're going to get mercilessly booed by the Dodger faithful. That's happened to me in the past before. I tried to come prepared and I put the ball in my pocket. I knew Machado, big power hitter, was up. I was ready."

He shared that his most prized home run ball is an Albert Pujols rocket from a Home Run Derby appearance. 

The fan seemed proud of catching Machado's ball, even if the rest of the Dodgers despise Manny. Count on fans at Chavez to boo Machado mercilessly with every at-bat. 

The Dodgers and Padres remain one of MLB's strongest rivalries. Most meet-ups between the NL West teams produce some heat, evidenced by Machado almost getting involved in some smoke during Saturday's game. 

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Manny Machado #13 and Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrate after Machado's home run in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)

Machado homered on Friday and Sunday, getting the last laugh over his former team, and the Pads won, 6-3.

San Diego won the weekend series with 2 of 3 wins at Dodger Stadium. 

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