Yahoo! Sports baseball reporter Jeff Passan reported Tuesday night that the Royals are reportedly taking stalk of potential interest in Ventura across the league.
Advertisement
The eccentric Royals pitcher plunked Machado in the back with a 99 miles per hour fast ball in the fifth inning, which led to the Orioles third baseman charging the mound and punching him in the face. Ventura prepared for the onslaught by slinging aside his cap and glove, but Machado landed a solid punch before the pitcher tackled him.
My take on this is simple: I can be a fan of Ventura, and the KC Royals, and still admit Ventura was in the wrong. The two had words as Machado, who had doubled in his first at-bat, went to the dugout. After Trout nearly took Ventura’s head off with a line drive, the pitcher stared down and said some things to Trout for some reason.
Ventura and Machado have each had a previous history of on-field incidents. Maybe no other player in the game of baseball is a bigger egotistical psychopath and self-centered moron than Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura. I think they have to find a way to help him out. Manager Buck Showalter, in fact, warned Machado before the at bat that Ventura might have ill intent in mind. I think he explained the situation very well and did good in standing up for his guys, especially Manny, which any player would be extremely grateful for. I just can’t stand there.
On top of the extracurriculars, the Royals will try to snap their season-high six-game losing streak while the Orioles attempt to a complete a three-game sweep of the defending world champs when the two teams meet Wednesday night. In the second inning, Ventura came inside on Machado; Machado didn’t like it. Machado flied out the wall in left, but thought he got more of it and admired his shot; Ventura didn’t like it. Chris Tillman will be on the mound for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Edinson Volquez. If you watched the whole game you could see that Ventura had it coming to him.
Both players were ejected from Tuesday night’s game.
“It’s a lot easier to, you know, do those things when you feel like you’re doing it for a just cause”, Showalter said. Someone is trying to hurt you maliciously, you go out there and defend yourself. I’m thinking, ‘OK, he’s going to pitch him inside again.’ I mean, looked to me like [the pitch got away from him].
After the Machado-Ventura brouhaha, there were no further incidents the rest of the game. Cameras didn’t show if Ventura was yelling back, but I imagine it wasn’t a one-sided conversation. The right-hander is just 2-5 with a 5.51 ERA in his last eight starts after beginning the season 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his first four. “I don’t know who’s at fault there”.
Two walks and a single preceded the key hit by Flaherty, who began the game batting.213.
Advertisement
“Probably”, he said. “There’s a little frustration when things like this happen, yeah”.
