Brewers and others upset that Manny Machado kicked first baseman Jesus Aguilar
Game 4 of the National League Championship Series had a little something for everyone.
There was a walk-off hit, lots and lots of strikeouts, some defensive gems and a hubbub between the Brewers and Dodgers.
The latter happened in the 10th inning when Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado grounded out to Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia. After Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar caught the throw for the out, Machado dragged his left foot across the bag and clipped Arcia.
Was it an intentional kick? You decide:
Machado, who scored the winning run in the 13th inning of the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory, told reporters after the game: “If that’s dirty, that’s dirty. I mean, I don’t know, call it what you want.”
The Brewers, who lost 2-1 in 13 innings at Dodger Stadium, were not happy. Outfielder Christian Yelich called Machado a dirty player:
Former Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain was his usual diplomatic self while talking with Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
ESPN’s Pedro Gomez tweeted: “One of the @Brewers players told me that while it was good to hear Manny Machado apologized to Jesus Aguilar, Machado needs to realize that he is known as a dirty ball player who needs to clean up his reputation.”
Others watching the game thought Machado intentionally kicked Aguilar. That includes MLB Network host Brian Kenney:
Marly Rivera of ESPN tweeted:
Former Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur called it a “complete cheap shot.”
Brewers minor-league pitcher Braden Webb said it was “very unprofessional.”
This story was originally published October 17, 2018 at 8:46 AM.