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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Los Angeles Dodgers were bothered in Game 2 of their National League Division Series against the Padres when San Diego third baseman Manny Machado threw a ball in the direction of the Los Angeles dugout between the top and bottom of the sixth inning.
"There was intent behind it," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Machado's throw.
Annie Heilbrunn of 97.3-FM in San Diego shared the video of the throw on her Twitter/X page. Judge for yourself:
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"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," Heilbrunn explains.
Yet the video shows both Roberts and Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández reacting angrily to Machado's throw — an unusual reaction to a routine occurrence, if indeed it was as routine as Heilbrunn describes.
Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty soon joined the chorus. Fox Sports' broadcast of the game caught Flaherty and Machado jawing back and forth as the game returned from a commercial break; Flaherty said after the game that Machado's throw prompted his outburst.
The emotional context of the game might have heightened the Dodgers' reaction.
In the top of the sixth inning, Flaherty hit Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. with an 0-and-1 sinker to begin the frame. The pitcher claimed it was unintentional, telling reporters after the game "I have no reason to hit a guy" in that situation. The Dodgers were trailing 3-1 at the time, and Tatis would come around to score later in the inning.
But the hit batter clearly unnerved the Padres and the Dodger Stadium crowd.
Was Machado's throw toward the Dodgers' dugout unusually aggressive as a result?
More news: MLB Playoffs: Padres Outfielder Has Pointed Words for Dodgers Fans
That question is now in the hands of Major League Baseball. The Dodgers have submitted the video to MLB for review, according to The Athletic.
Machado played for the Dodgers under Roberts in 2018. He confirmed to The Athletic that, even though he threw the baseball toward the Dodgers' dugout, "I threw the ball like I always throw it into any dugout."
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The heat emanating from the field wafted into the stands. In the seventh inning, fans in left and right field threw objects (including a baseball) toward Padres outfielders, prompting umpires to delay the game for 10 minutes as Dodger Stadium security attempted to calm the situation.
If the latest chapter in the simmering rivalry between the two National League West teams didn't already have the attention of MLB's executive offices in Manhattan, it does now.
Roberts didn't make mention of Machado's throw in his postgame press conference Sunday. But after watching the video Monday, he called the third baseman's actions "unsettling." Now the league will be pressed to decide if it agrees.
For more MLB postseason news, visit Newsweek Sports.
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