Roberts: Machado's throw 'unsteady' in dugout
SAN DIEGO — The baseball San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado threw toward the Dodgers dugout Sunday night — another heated exchange between him and Los Angeles pitcher Jack Flaherty — landed around Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Roberts, speaking before his team's workout Monday, said he didn't notice it at first but later reviewed an internal video of the throw.
“It was unsettling,” Roberts said. “Obviously I've had a relationship with Manny over the last few years. There was intent behind it. It almost didn't hurt me because there was a fake. And it was very upsetting. If it was intended for me, I'm very — it's pretty disrespectful so, I don't want to speak for him but I don't know what led to this.”
Major League Baseball has contacted the Dodgers' security staff and asked for footage of the incident, sources told ESPN, though no punishment appears likely. A video showing what appeared to be the incident in question was posted on social media by the San Diego Union Tribune on Monday night.
In Sunday's Game 2 — a 10-2 victory by the Padres that evened the National League Division Series at one game apiece — Machado accused Flaherty of hitting San Diego's Fernando Tatis Jr. to start the sixth inning, a charge Flaherty vehemently denied. Two batters later, Flaherty struck out Machado. and later yelled at him to “sit down”.
Machado didn't seem bothered by Flaherty's response, instead chalking it up to “competition.” But the two exchanged words when Machado returned to the field on defense in the bottom of the sixth, seemingly challenging each other to a fight after the game. Flaherty later revealed that he was angry that Machado had thrown a baseball into the Dodgers' dugout.
Machado initially dismissed the allegation, saying he continually threw baseballs into the dugout after pre-inning warmups were over. But Dodgers people who either saw the throw or watched a video feed of it said it was thrown hard, bouncing off the home-plate end of the dugout before hitting the net directly in front of where Roberts sits during the game. Machado played down the throw Sunday night but hinted at his intentions when asked if it was normal for him to throw unnecessary baseballs into the opposing team's dugout.
“Both dugouts,” Machado said. “They have foul balls, you throw the ball there. I mean, when you try to hit our best hitter. OK? Strike him out. If you can't strike him out, don't hit him. OK? They have the best players in the game. , right? [Shohei] Ohtani? We don't go out there and try to hit Ohtani. We try to get him out. Don't go out there and try to hurt my man.”
“Obviously I've had a relationship with Manny over the last couple of years. … If it's meant for me, I'm very — it's pretty disrespectful. So, I don't know what his intentions are. I don't want to talk but I saw the video and there's something behind it. I don't know.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts
Before signing the first of two long-term contracts with the Padres, Machado played for the Dodgers for a stretch of the 2018 season, coming over from the Baltimore Orioles to replace the injured Corey Seager at shortstop. The Dodgers did not commit to Machado when he became a free agent the following offseason.
Asked if he had any dialogue with Machado before he threw the baseball at him, Roberts said: “The only dialogue I had was him chirping at Jack. And I looked at him and shook my head, making a point that we wouldn't. Two runs. He was not hit on purpose to advance the innings.”
“I think he's using it as fuel,” Roberts added. “As a baseball person, anybody understands that you don't do that, intentionally put a 3-4-5 trailing leadoff man on base. It doesn't make sense.”
Flaherty struck an apologetic tone on Monday, admitting that “things got out of hand” between him and Machado, adding: “I wish I had let it go.”
Machado addressed reporters before Roberts' comments and was not made available afterward. Through a third party, Machado told the San Diego Union Tribune: “I talked about this last night after the game. I've already turned the page, and I'm looking forward to playing in front of our fans tomorrow and preparing. Another tough game against a very good team. “