Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura may never mature on the mound.
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“The guy has electric stuff but between ears, there is a circuit board off balance. I just can’t stand there”.
Yet after the game, Machado’s punch seemed to fade into the background, as the focus shifted to Ventura’s troubling pattern of behavior. Machado charged the mound and punches were exchanged. On Tuesday night in Baltimore, Ventura had nobody to hide behind and was forced to face the music for plunking Machado.
Speaking about the fight, Ventura insisted that the ball that stuck Machado was an accident, saying ‘My plan was to pitch inside and one got away.
The game would not conclude for another four innings.
Dear Diary, it’s been four days since I last weighed in.
Despite not being in the same division, and having no history of animosity, the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles got into a heated confrontation.
Orioles: RHP Yovani Gallardo (shoulder tendinitis) allowed three runs and four hits over five innings in his second and perhaps final rehabilitation start. His escape hatch was a fastball to the ribs of Machado.
Royals SP Edinson Volquez looked like he was going to have similar success until the fifth inning.
“Michael can be dominant”, said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Cuthbert sustained a right elbow contusion, but manager Ned Yost said before the game that he was doing fine, albeit still a bit sore. Obviously, he didn’t like it – flew out and was screaming at Ventura.
Tonight, Manny handled it himself and I couldn’t be happier for him…. Showalter said that the Orioles will make a decision in the next few days.
“I’m not happy about it at all”, he said.
“I don’t regret anything, he said”. He went on to say he believes players generally police this part of the game well. You can ruin someone’s career. Ventura has been ejected three times in his career before the incident.
On Tuesday, there was more of the same.
In Cincinnati, Joey Votto homered with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, powering the Reds over St. Louis after it blew a five-run lead for the second straight day.
The difference between Machado and Ventura? Ventura knows he won’t ever have to climb into the batter’s box for a dose of duck-the-horsehide, so why not play the schoolyard bully? “Everybody knows what kind of player he is. Everybody has to defend themselves at that point”. If this were any other pitcher, we could pass off the excuse of frustration-the team in the middle of a losing streak, down 5-0-but this is Ventura. Sports Illustrated also mentions that Ventura has been involved in similar incidents as well.
Ventura and Machado both earned ejections.
Both Machado and Ventura are likely to be suspended.
“There’s probably going to be a suspension coming”. It’s been a different story in 2016, though, with Ventura posting a 4-4 record and a 5.32 ERA with a league-worst 35 walks through 12 starts. The Royals must now ponder what is best for him.
As Jones alluded, this is far from the first time a situation involving Ventura has led to on-the-field fisticuffs.
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Davis, Jones and Flaherty all added solo homers. He retired 10 straight hitters between the first and fourth – six via strikeout.
