Black focused on baseball, not retaliation concerns

LOS ANGELES -- The Padres insist there won't be any carryover on Monday night from Thursday's benches-clearing brawl with the Dodgers as the National League West rivals begin a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. It's the first time the clubs have met since the fracas.

Padres manager Bud Black spoke over the phone with Joe Torre, vice president of baseball operations for MLB, before Monday's game. Torre's message was simple: Keep things in perspective on Jackie Robinson Day. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly had a similar conversation with Torre on Monday.

Black said he's spoken to the club at least twice about last week's events, which resulted in an eight-game suspension for outfielder Carlos Quentin and a broken left collarbone for Dodgers starter Zack Greinke. Greinke was injured when Quentin charged the mound after being hit by the right-hander in the sixth inning of a 3-2 loss.

"What happened, happened, and in a lot of these cases it ends," Black said before Monday's game. "But to Joe's point, I think you just want to let both teams know this is baseball and this is still what this is all about."

Quentin began serving his suspension on Sunday after he dropped his appeal. Quentin did not travel with the club to Los Angeles. He is eligible to return for the April 23 home game against the Brewers.