There’s no love lost between Padres star Manny Machado and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In a video that emerged Monday night, the Padres’ third basemen was seen during Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday throwing a ball on a hop toward the Dodgers’ dugout that had some velocity and came close to hitting opposing manager Dave Roberts.
The Dodgers have seen the tape and sent it to the league office for investigation, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“I didn’t notice it at the time. I really didn’t. I didn’t notice it. I did see the video. And it was unsettling,” Roberts said Monday on the eve of Game 3 of the NLDS in San Diego. “Obviously, I have a relationship with Manny from years past. There was intent behind it. It didn’t almost hit me because there was a net.
“And that was very bothersome. If it was intended at me, I would be very — it’s pretty disrespectful. So I don’t know his intent. I don’t want to speak for him. But I did see the video. And the ball was directed at me with something behind it. But I don’t know what led to that. I didn’t see it in real time but I did see the video.”
The notion that Machado crossed a line with how hard he threw a ball into the Dodgers’ dugout first came to light when Los Angeles starter Jack Flaherty, who had a war of words with Machado during Game 2 on Sunday, explained why he was yelling at Machado after exiting the game.
“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,” Flaherty 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.”
The video released Monday shows Machado throwing the ball toward the Dodgers dugout with some extra oomph that went near Roberts and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.
Roberts, Hernandez and one Dodgers staffers all reacted with anger towards Machado.
Machado denied any ill intent.
“I throw balls all the time into dugouts. Both dugouts,” Machado said Sunday. “They have batboys, you throw the ball back in there.”
Roberts said he felt the ball was directed at him after watching the video, but he did not have a chance to talk one-on-one with his former player.
He believed Machado was upset over Flaherty hitting Fernando Tatis Jr. earlier in the inning, which Machado indicated was on purpose after his previous homer and double in the game.
“The only dialogue I had was, he was chirping at Jack,” Roberts said. “And I looked at him and shook my head, making a point that we wouldn’t hit him on purpose to lead off an inning being down two runs. And, again, the point being is I think he’s using it as fuel.
“As a baseball person, anyone understands that you don’t do that, intentionally put the leadoff man on base, with three, four, five coming up behind. It just makes no sense.”
Commentator and former A’s pitcher Dallas Braden posted on X that Machado’s throw was “the perfect troll” after a fan interacted with him saying Machado threw the ball just hard enough to annoy his rivals but soft enough to plausibly deny any maliciousness behind it.
“I’d venture to guess that’s the hardest he’s ever thrown a ball into a teams dugout but this IS Machado so I could be very wrong,” Braden tweeted.
The purpose of sending the tape to the league office could be gamesmanship or perhaps the club is really seeking punishment for the superstar third basemen.
Braden doesn’t believe it’s enough for him to be suspended.
“No way. Hell I hope not,” Braden continued on X.
Machado seemingly was not bothered Sunday’s hostilities, which also included Flaherty telling him to “sit the f–k down motherf–ker” after striking him out in the sixth inning.
“Just going back and forth, competition right?” Machado said. “Things happen between the lines, people just going back and forth. He’s competing for his ball club and I’m trying to get a big hit for my team, so, yeah, man. This is the beauty of postseason baseball, right?”
Sunday’s game also featured one of his teammates egging on the Dodgers faithful.
Outfielder Jurickson Profar robbed Mookie Betts of a home run in the first inning and taunted some fans after making the incredible catch.
The game would later be delayed thanks to some black sheep fans throwing balls and trash at Padres players.
Profar and star Fernando Tatis Jr. continued to taunt bystanders as they won 10-2 and drilled six home runs.
Game 3 should be more fireworks as the two teams face off with ex-Yankee Michael King getting the ball for San Diego against the Dodgers’ struggling former ace Walker Buehler.
