Padres' Manny Machado Takes Major Shot at Dodgers Outfielder

Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages took it personally when he was hit by starting pitcher Dylan Cease’s fastball in the fourth inning on Monday.

With Pages on deck, third baseman Max Muncy hit a two-run RBI single off Cease to take the lead. So when Cease hit Pages in the very next at-bat, Pages believed it was intentional.

Pages stared down Cease and both teams were prepared to leave the dugout, but nothing broke out.

After the game, third baseman Manny Machado said if the Padres wanted to intentionally hit a batter, it would not be Pages.

“They got way more superstars over there if we want to hit somebody,” Machado said. “They’ve got some big dogs over there we could hit.”

In his last seven games, Pages is averaging .231 which is lower than his season .282 average. He is also 4-for-12 through the first four games of the teams’ two June series.

Machado said the growing rivalry between the Dodgers and Padres likely contributed to Pages’ reaction. 

“This game is crazy, right, this rivalry. It’s back and forth,” Machado said. “Playing this competition, things get heated. You want to go out there and compete.”

After the game, Pages admitted his reaction was not right but was a response driven by adrenaline.

And even though Machado said the Padres would not intentionally hit Pages over other Dodgers batters, he praised his performance in his second MLB season.

“He’s having a helluva year,” Machado said about Pages. “He’s going to continue having a helluva year. Rooting for him, but it’s just part of the game.”

The Dodgers went on to score five of their six runs of the night in that fourth inning.

Tommy Edman, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts – who are all in the top two of their respective positions in the National League All-Star voting – each hit RBIs to push the Dodgers over the Padres.

The Padres currently sit four games behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West but only have three more games against Los Angeles until their next series in mid-August.

More news: Padres All-Star Linked to Yankees in Potential Shocking Blockbuster Trade Deadline Move

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