Scott Polacek @@ScottPolacek Featured Columnist IV October 8, 2024
Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts opened up about San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado’s decision to throw a ball into the L.A. dugout during Game 2 of their Divisional Series.
“I didn’t notice it at the time,” he said Monday, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. “I really didn’t. I didn’t notice it. I did see the video. And it was unsettling. … If it was intended at me, I would be very—it’s pretty disrespectful.”
Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty seemed to notice and went back-and-forth with Machado during the game:
FOX Sports: MLB @MLBONFOX
Jack Flaherty and Manny Machado are still chirping at each other 😳 pic.twitter.com/CsCa3wqVe4
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic noted the Dodgers shared video of the Machado throwing the ball with Major League Baseball, while reporter Annie Heilbrunn shared her own video. ESPN’s Jeff Passan provided an alternate vantage point of the incident.
Annie Heilbrunn @annieheilbrunn
Here is video of Manny Machado throwing the ball toward the #Dodgers dugout. The ball had just been used by Yu Darvish to warm up. Kyle Higashioka’s throw to second bounced in the dirt, so Darvish received a new ball to begin the inning. #Padres pic.twitter.com/Wkf1L4Pff5
Jeff Passan @JeffPassan
Here is an alternate camera angle of San Diego 3B Manny Machado throwing a ball toward the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dugout during Game 2 of the NLDS, obtained by ESPN. The incident remains a point of contention with Game 3 tonight, as @Alden_Gonzalez reported: https://t.co/grEVYusdPY pic.twitter.com/Qo0CGqqeVz
Flaherty and Machado each spoke to reporters about their interaction after the game, with the latter saying it was because the right-hander hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch.
“When you try to hit our best hitter, get him out. You can’t get him out, don’t hit him, right?” Machado said. “They got the best player in the game, right? (Shohei) Ohtani. We don’t go out there and try to hit Ohtani. We try to get him, right? Don’t go out there and try to hit my guy.”
For his part, Flaherty said he didn’t hit Tatis intentionally and instead was yelling because of the thrown ball.
“He did some s–t between innings where he throws the ball at our dugout and everybody kind of catches the tail end of it, which is me and him going at it,” he said. “I was sitting there for my team, I wasn’t going at him, but he was throwing the ball at our dugout and the umpires went over immediately to tell him—don’t know what there conversation was, but our dugout was fired up because there ain’t no reason for that.”
It was all part of a heated start to the series, as Sunday’s Game 2 was delayed when Dodgers fans threw objects from the crowd at outfielders Tatis and Jurickson Profar.
The two teams split the first two contests with L.A. taking the first one behind a three-run homer from Ohtani. But the Padres came charging back with a 10-2 victory in Sunday’s contest.
San Diego launched six home runs in the win with Tatis hitting two and David Peralta, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts and Kyle Higashioka each hitting one as well.
There are no shortage of storylines in this series between the two National League West rivals, and Machado has been at the center of some of it.
Tensions may be high again when the series shifts to San Diego for Tuesday’s Game 3 and Wednesday’s Game 4.
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