So, just when you thought it was safe to dismiss the Orioles and Red Sox as potential combatants, Sunday’s eighth inning happened.
Reliever Matt Barnes threw a 90-mph pitch behind Machado – basically at his head – and it bounced off Machado’s bat and then hit his back before rolling to the grass. You can see video of the incident here.
Quickly, home plate umpire Andy Fletcher ejected Barnes while Machado walked slowly up the first baseline, never taking a step toward the mound.
Give credit to Fletcher for defusing the situation and Machado for not losing his head when it was thrown at.
It all stemmed, of course, from what happened in the eighth inning of Friday’s game when Machado slid hard into second base and, ultimately, spiked Dustin Pedroia in the calf. Pedroia hasn’t played since.
MASN cameras caught an exchange between Machado and Pedroia while the game was delayed as the umpires sorted out what had happened (manager John Farrell appealed the hit by pitch and it was correctly overturned).
In the MASN shot, Pedroia clearly is yelling to Machado, saying he did not order a pitch to the head: “It wasn’t me. … You know that and I know that.”
Machado pointed to his head, but moments later seemed to say, “I got you,” and tapped his chest.
Machado ended up doubling in that at-bat. And came up again in the ninth with the Orioles trailing by four with two runners on. But Boston closer Craig Kimbrel got Machado to pop up to end the game and the Orioles’ chance at a sweep.
Just a reminder, these teams play 14 more times this year.
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I'm glad that pitch missed his head, and I hope this brings an end to the whole fiasco.
Now I'm gonna say something that may not be popular but it's been bugging me. What's up with the top buttons on Manny's shirt? He looks quite unkempt out there.
He's not a buttoner. That's for sure.
I watched both games and I thought that Machado's slide into second on Friday night might have been a little late, but not what would be called a takeout slide. His foot hit the base and popped up, catching Pedroia in the leg. There was no attempt to turn a double play. When it happened, Manny immediately tried to catch Pedroia and stop him from falling. It was obvious to me that there was no intent to do harm.
I don't think Pedroia had anything to do with retaliation. I'm not a big fan of the Red Sox, but I respect him as a player. He seems like a stand up guy, and that came across in his post-game comments as well as his communication with Manny after Barnes' high and tight pitch. I do, however, think that Farrell would condone it. I know that they've tried to explain it away as losing a pitch where Barnes tried to come in up under the hands with a pitch, but I just don't buy it. Too convenient that it was Manny two days later for me to think otherwise. Pitchers don't miss like that.
Catcher was set up on the outside of the plate, Barnes said he wanted to throw up and in. I call bullshit. Barnes needs to sit and Farrell probably ordered it.
No question it was intentional. The problem most have, though, is location.
Farrell needs suspended too he showed his true colors on the Manny slide wasn't intenional but the pitch today was
Gonna be an interesting call.