Boston' Matt Barnes ejected after pitch sails behind Manny Machado

ByABC News
April 23, 2017, 4:56 PM

— -- Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Barnes was ejected in the eighth inning Sunday when his pitch sailed past the head of? Orioles?third baseman Manny Machado.

Machado had spiked Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia Friday night sliding into second base.

Umpires initially ruled that the Barnes pitch hit Machado and sent him to first base, even though the ball hit Machado's bat.

But after Red Sox manager John Farrell argued with umpires, the umps huddled and decided the ball did not graze Machado's helmet and ruled it a foul ball.

Machado grabbed a bat and waited for Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly to get warmed up before stepping back into the box with an 0-1 count.

On the first pitch from Kelly, Machado drove a triple to center field that scored Adam Jones and cut the Boston lead to 6-1.

Pedroia was out of the Red Sox's lineup for a second consecutive game Sunday after being taken out by the hard, spikes-high slide by Machado in the eighth inning Friday night. Pedroia continued to experience swelling in his left ankle and surgically repaired left knee and will undergo an MRI exam Monday after the Red Sox return home.

The test will be administered "just to rule anything out," Farrell told reporters before Sunday's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.