Manny Machado called out as 'dirty player' after play at first
LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado was called out for being a "dirty player" and not "playing all that hard" by the Milwaukee Brewers after clipping the back leg of Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar while running out a groundout in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday night.
Both benches cleared after the incident. Aguilar's right foot was on first base and it appeared as if Machado intentionally kicked it with his left foot out of frustration after being called out.
"It was a dirty play by a dirty player," Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said.
When Brewers manager Craig Counsell was asked if Machado was going beyond the grounds of playing hard, he said, "I don't think he's playing all that hard."
Aguilar, who wasn't hurt on the play, said he and Machado "turned the page" afterward. The two hugged after Machado singled in the 13th inning, just before Machado scored the game-winning run following Cody Bellinger's walk-off single to tie the NLCS at two games apiece going into Game 5 on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
"I play baseball," Machado said. "I try to go out there and win for my team. If that's their comments, that's their comments; I can't do nothing about that."
When Machado was asked again about the play, he said, "I was trying to get over him and hit his foot. If that's dirty, that's dirty. I don't know, call it what you want."
The incident came just one day after Machado was called out for his style of play following a couple of hard slides at the legs of Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia to break up potential double plays in Game 3.
Last year, Machado spiked Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia while sliding into second base.
No one was as outspoken about Machado after the game as Yelich as he answered questions from reporters about the play.
"He's a player that has a history of those types of incidents," Yelich said. "One time is an accident. Repeated over and over and over again, you're just a dirty player. It's a dirty play by a dirty player. That's what it is. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but you can't respect someone who plays the game like that.
"It was a tough-fought baseball game. It has no place in our game. We've all grounded out. Run through the bag like you've been doing your whole life, like everybody else does. If it's an accident, it's an accident; but on the replay to us, it clearly looks like you clearly go out of your way to step on someone. It has no place in our game. It really doesn't."
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