Trust your eyes, not the bullshit.

Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty tried Fernando Tatis Jr. not to be hit with the inside fastball that crashed into Tatis’ thigh at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.

Tatis himself said it was an accident. Of course it was. It would have been stupid for Flaherty to have put Tatis on base when he did that.

Manny Machado also tried not to hit or scare Dodgers manager Dave Roberts when he threw a ball toward the dugout in the same Game 2 of this ultra-intense Division Series.

Video replays showed Machado making only a light throw into the ground from about 100 feet away.

I have seen more speed in peanut bags thrown away by street vendors.

As for the response from two ballplayers, Machado accuses Flaherty of tatis Jr. to try to hit, and Flaherty looks at Machado after seeing the ball bounce into the net opposite Roberts?

No biggie. Just adrenaline ballplayers having fun.

What was strange was how Roberts, who is in charge of Dodgers messaging, responded a day later when asked about Machado’s light throw to him.

Roberts chose to turn it into a story. He succeeded and caused a stupid, media-fueled firestorm.

In response to questions he knew were coming, Roberts said Monday that he didn’t notice the third baseman’s throw. But after seeing the video, he called it “disturbing.”

He added: “There was a purpose behind it…And that was very bothersome. If it was directed at me, I would be very… it’s quite disrespectful. … I don’t know his intention. I don’t want to speak for him. But I did see the video. And the ball was pointed at me with something behind it.”

Roberts also expressed his displeasure with the third base umpire, who put his arm around Machado after the toss.

“I don’t think they should have had an arm-wrap conversation,” he said. “When players can throw balls at opposing managers, you know.”

It’s a mystery why Roberts decided to answer the way he did.

The video showed a slight spin of a pitch, nothing more. A downward slope provided extra speed. But it’s not uncommon for infielders to throw to either dugout between innings. If Machado did indeed send a message, it was a tap on the shoulder. At most.

Speaking to reporters before Tuesday’s Game 3, which the Padres won 6-5, Roberts distanced himself from his comments.

It’s not up to Roberts, a former Padres player and coach, to stir things up the way he did. In that respect he is the anti-Bobby Valentine.

Theory: He’s seen so many of his West-winning teams fall short in the World Series tournament that he may have decided he has nothing to lose by changing his game. Beloved in the MLB, but he’s also a scrappy dude: a cancer survivor who carved out a major-league career as a 28th-round draft pick.

Benefit, Fathers

Padres starting pitcher Michael King allowed five runs in five innings Tuesday night, trailing Dodgers counterpart Walker Buehler, who gave up six runs in five innings.

So it’s between the two teams.

In six Padres-Dodgers games dating back to September 24, the better throwing line in five games belonged to San Diego’s starter. The best the Dodgers have done is tie, even in the middle game of the three-game set in late September.

Both King and Buehler threw 77 pitches. King mostly threw well outside the hanging breaker that Teoscar Hernandez hit for a grand slam.

Short hops

Machado’s clever baserunning was crucial in sparking the Padres’ six-run outburst in the second inning. The 6-foot-2 Machado turned toward the infield grass and took away first baseman Freddie Freeman’s throwing angle. Freeman fired from his knees after fielding a grounder and threw the ball off Machado’s left shoulder, putting runners on the corners.

Could the Dodgers have invoked Machado’s illegal interference?

“No,” a major league manager said via text message. “He can chart his own basic path.”

Machado’s clever play was reminiscent of Yankees baserunner Reggie Jackson deflecting a throw with his hip in the 1978 World Series. A Dodgers infielder – Bill Russell – also made that throw.

Well said, A-Rod

Former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, a longtime friend and mentor of Machado, suggested that when it comes to WWE-style playmaking/theater, the Padres star is more comfortable than Dodgers players and Roberts.

“Manny is a great kid,” said Rodriguez, an analyst for the FS1 Network. “He likes being the heel. He enjoys being the bad guy. But he isn’t. It’s the character.” Laughing, he added, “The Dodgers are not comfortable with this craziness.”

Robert is not rusty

Rest was not easy when Robert Suarez, called up with two outs and pinch-runner Chris Taylor on first base in the eighth inning, appeared in his first game since throwing a scoreless inning against the Braves six days earlier.

Suarez started with a 90-mph strike on Hernandez and struck him out with a 100-mph fastball.

All five of Suarez’s pitches in the at-bat – a sinker and four four-seamers – hit the boundary into the strike zone. Suarez got three more outs, the last being a 161-mph tailer that struck out Gavin Lux to secure the 6-5 victory.

Originally published: October 8, 2024 at 8:53 PM