Manny Machado somehow found time to blow a bubble with his gum during the tensest moment of Game 4 of the World Series — at a time when his singular focus should have been trying to beat out a hit — and pulled another dirty move.
Machado came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning against Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel, who had already allowed a 2-run home run in the inning. Justin Turner had just singled, meaning Machado had a chance to get a rally going.
Machado grounded a 2-1 pitch down the third-base line. Rafael Devers went to his backhand side for a tough play and threw across the diamond, barely getting Machado out. Given the speed of the grounder and how long it took Devers to get the ball before making his throw, it seemed like the runner should have beaten out the ball. Instead, Machado was blowing a bubble and came up short.
How was Machado blowing a bubble at that moment? Though he was running hard, he did not appear to get the best break out of the box. Oh, and as if that weren’t enough, he also stepped on Steve Pearce’s heel, similar to his dirty play against the Brewers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers ended up losing 9-6, blowing a 4-0 lead in the process to fall behind 3-1 in the World Series.
For a guy whose lack of hustle persists as an issue during the playoffs, this will be extraordinarily frustrating. He might even be costing himself suitors in free agency.
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