Kershaw: Padres' Profar could have injured Barnes on 'scary' swing

Tensions between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres continued to escalate Saturday when Clayton Kershaw and Jurickson Profar exchanged words following an at-bat during the second contest of a three-game series.

Kershaw voiced his displeasure after Profar was awarded first base on catcher's interference when he awkwardly swung at a pitch that would have been strike three and hit Austin Barnes' glove.

"That's a little scary," Kershaw said postgame, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. "I think Barnesy could have been seriously injured on that play. He basically swung straight down and backwards. I'm not saying it was intentional. But that was not a big-league swing right there.

"I asked the umpire if I could just hit the catcher's glove every time. I've got a much better chance of doing that than hitting the ball."

Padres manager Jayce Tingler said there was no malicious intent from Profar and that his player wasn't trying to initiate contact with the catcher's glove.

"(Kershaw) tunnels his pitches so well," Tingler said, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I definitely 100% do not believe Profar was trying to do that. He's up there battling and seeing (the ball) deep."

The incident happened one day after benches cleared in the first game of the series due to Dodgers reliever Dennis Santana hitting Jorge Mateo.

L.A. will go for a sweep Sunday with Trevor Bauer on the mound.