A test ... and testiness
Jackson, offense get going as joint session turns a bit ‘chirpy’
It was as close to a preseason game as quarterback Lamar Jackson and most of the rest of the starters in the Ravens’ overhauled offense will play.
And the first of two joint practices with the Washington Commanders on Tuesday in Owings Mills didn’t disappoint, at least in terms of action.
Just over 90 minutes into what was a 90-degree day, a fight between the teams ensued following a dust-up between Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace and Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. Wallace took a swipe at the helmet of Forbes, Forbes shoved him and the two exchanged punches before both teams charged onto the field.
One play later, another scuffle broke out, this time after Ravens tight end Mark Andrews picked up cornerback Danny Johnson and slammed him to the turf.
“It was hot outside. It gets chirpy,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It gets really intense in these practices. … Practices can always get chirpy, but I think it was really good that it didn’t turn into a big, gigantic brawl. It got heated, and then it kind of died down, which shows a lot of maturity on both teams.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Washington coach Ron Rivera did their part to settle things down, with each pulling their respective players into the middle of the field to address them after the second incident.
The rest of the 2 ½-hour session then carried on largely without incident.
“Joint practices are a challenge, always, obviously, because you’ve got two teams out here, and there is a lot of pride,” Harbaugh said. “I thought it was a really good practice. We had a couple dust-ups, which you don’t want to see, but it’s not really unexpected. I thought they got handled pretty quickly.”
As for the Ravens’ revamped offense, it was a mixed bag of results.
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Machado’s first season in San Diego after signing there following a run to the World Series with the Dodgers. His goal remains to make it back and win it, but this season, the Orioles are better positioned to do so than the Padres, who entered the series 56-62 and 5 ½ games back of a playoff spot. After finishing in the top three of National League Most Valuable Player voting two of the past three years, Machado is having a relatively down season but still considered an above-average performer with a .256 batting average, .778 OPS and 21 home runs through Sunday.
There are few members of this Orioles roster who played alongside Machado in Baltimore. Outfielders Austin Hays and Anthony Santander began their careers as Machado’s teammates. They are now both part of an established core representing one of the three key portions of the Orioles’ clubhouse: those who weathered the rebuilding years after the Machado trade, the young talent acquired during them, and the veterans brought in to complement those groups.
It’s another way this team reminds Machado of those he played on. He recalled Monday a play he made at third base during that 2012 call-up against the Tampa Bay Rays, charging a slow roller and faking a throw to first before throwing to third to catch the lead runner going too far around the bag, crediting not only his “natural ability,” but also shortstop JJ Hardy.
“Not many shortstops back up the third baseman, or they’re a little bit late, but he was one guy that was always there no matter what,” Machado said. “That’s what made me start thinking later that year, like, hey, it’s all about the little details that matter. I learned a lot from that.”
He’s carried those lessons to San Diego, now in a similar position as a veteran infielder on a team with playoff aspirations. He’s grateful he collected them in Baltimore.
“At the end of the day, you never forget where you come from,” Machado said. “I grew up in Miami, and Baltimore gave me an opportunity to live my dream, and now, I’m here, living in one of the best cities in the world, playing in a great organization, trying to compete for a World Series. It’s crazy how baseball turns out, and it’s a beautiful thing.”