OH MANNY, WHAT A MESS!
CHIPPY MACHADO THE TALK OF PLAYOFFS AS DODGERS ROLL BEHIND KERSHAW
LOS ANGELES — For now and into the future Manny Machado has painted a bull’s-eye on his back.
In a game that loves its heroes and despises its villains, Machado is fast becoming baseball’s No. 1 villain.
You can’t do much more than saying you are not going to be a hustling player, turning off many fans, and then get labeled as a “dirty player’’ by your opponents, turning off your peers.
Mannyworld is the center of attention heading into his free agency and heading into Milwaukee Friday night when the Dodgers can punch their return ticket to the World Series.
In some ways Machado is the new/old Alex Rodriguez, who once was his mentor.
Despite hitting into double plays his first two times up it all worked out for Machado and his Dodgers Wednesday as Clayton Kershaw outpitched the bull-penning Brewers, 5-2 at Dodger Stadium to take a 3-2 lead in the NLCS.
Machado knows he will be in the center of the fans’ wrath in Milwaukee and doesn’t care.
When asked if he expected to get booed at Miller Park on Friday in Game 6, Machado answered, “I’m expecting to go into Milwaukee and win. That’s what I’m expecting. I want to go in and win that one more game.’’
The villain knows his lines. In some ways Machado is relishing all this.
Machado was fined $10,000 Wednesday by MLB for that Game 4 collision at first but believes that play fired up his Dodgers. As for that fine, he said, “I am not talking about that.’’
Since his “dirty play’’ in the 10th inning of Tuesday night’s game when Machado gave a left-footed kick to the right ankle of Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar, causing the benches to empty, the Dodgers are rolling. Machado scored the winning run in the 13th inning Tuesday night and now the Dodgers are playing much more small baseball. Taking what the pitcher is giving them.
“It added a little bit to us,’’ Machado admitted when I asked him if that incident fired the Dodgers up as a team. “You know, fighting the last couple of days, it’s been a fight the whole series so it is just a mat- ter of keep fighting, whoever stands on top at the end is the one who is going to win.’’
Machado is one win away from going to his first World Series after all those bad days in Baltimore.
“I just want to try and get the outs and try to play the game,’’ Machado said of getting that victory. “I’ve never been this far in the postseason, never been this far in baseball. I’m just excited to be here. It’s a dream come true. We got one game left to leave it all out on the field.’’
Machado will hear the boos as Public Enemy No. 1, after all, Brewers star Christian Yelich said of Machado, “F--k that motherf--ker.’’
Whatever team he signs with, when that team is the visiting team, Machado will be in the verbal crosshairs of the fans.
Will Machado be able to handle all that pressure? There is no doubt that Machado has already cost himself financially with his comments and antics.
He is hitting .316 in the NLCS. If the Dodgers win one more game and advance to the World Series and Machado, 26, does well, he can help himself immensely.
It was interesting to watch Machado’s first at-bat Wednesday. With two runners on and one out in the first, Machado went to the plate and as is customary with a player’s first atbat of the game, he said hello to homeplate umpire Jim Wolf and as Machado came into the batter’s box to greet Milwaukee catcher Erik Kratz, Kratz immediately walked out from behind the plate far to his right, far away from Machado so he did not have to interact with Machado.
In his third at-bat Machado was hit by a pitch, took first and later scored.
Machado is going to do it his way. He’s prepared to play the villain full-time in Milwaukee, and all the way to the World Series and beyond.