Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado was called out for being a “dirty player” and not “playing all that hard” by the Milwaukee Brewers after clipping the back leg of Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running out a groundout in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday night.
ICYMI: Things got heated between Manny Machado and Jesús Aguilar late in Game 4 of the NLCS. pic.twitter.com/jz6HwCMaYw
— ESPN (@espn) October 17, 2018
“Everyone has their own opinions. He’s a player who has a history of those types of incidents. One time is an accident. Repeated over and over and over again. You’re just a dirty player.” Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich told reporters. “It’s a dirty play by a dirty player.
“I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but you can’t respect someone who plays the game like that. It was a tough-fought baseball game, but it has no place in our game.”
After answering questions, the outfielder walked away from his locker and blurted out “F–k that mother—-er,” according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.
Brewers infielder Travis Shaw agreed with Yelich’s assessment of the play.
“The play at first today was a pretty dirty play,” Shaw said. “It’s not a mistake. You don’t kick somebody like that on accident. He can say it wasn’t on purpose, but it’s a dirty play.”
Machado defended his actions postgame.
“You saw the replay. His foot was on the bag,” he told reporters following his team’s 2-1 win. “Trying to get over him. Hit his foot.
Definitely a scummy play. No room in baseball for dirty players.