Orioles outfielder Adam Jones did not hide his feelings tonight. Of the players interviewed after tonight's 9-1 O's win over Kansas City, he was easily the most outspoken.
Jones had more than a few things to say about Kansas City right-hander Yordano Ventura. After Ventura hit Manny Machado in the last of the fifth inning, Machado charged the mound and the dugouts emptied. Both Machado and Ventura were ejected.
"You throw 100 mph and you are trying to hurt someone intentionally, that is not part of the game," Jones said. "You see the reaction by his players, they weren't too happy that (he) did something so stupid. I'm glad for Manny for defending himself. Screw it, defend yourself. Someone is trying to hurt you maliciously, you go out there and defend yourself. I hope the league reviews what happened. When you have a weapon at 100 mph and you don't have to hit, and you are trying to hurt somebody, that is not part of the game.
"That is just not part of baseball," Jones said. "If he wants to make it that part of the game, hey, let Major League Baseball handle it. Tonight, Manny handled it himself and I couldn't be happier for him.
"I knew it was going to happen. The guy has electric stuff and the talent is all there, but between the ears, there is a circuit board off balance. I don't get it. I don't get it.
"He wants to be Pedro Martinez. Cool, be Pedro Martinez. Go out there and have a damn sub-2.00 (ERA) like Pedro Martinez. Don't go out there to hurt somebody, that is what Pedro didn't do. So hopefully the league catches on to it. I've got Manny's fine and the rest is history. Manny is not at fault for nothing. You get hit with 95 or 98 (mph) and see what you do."
Here is Machado's take: "We try to predict things and see things coming. We knew how his temper is. I was just going up there to put more runs on the board. He hit me with a 99 mph fastball and 99 is no joke. You can ruin someone's career like that.
"I don't regret anything. It is part of the game. Reactions fly. When someone is throwing 99 (mph) at you, it is going to hurt. You can ruin somebody's career so, you don't think in that situation, you just react. Whatever happened happened and we just have to move forward. All that matters is we came out with a W."
Machado said he had the support of his teammates.
"They are all there for me," he said. "This is part of being a family. We are in this together. If one is going down, we all are going down. Things have happened in the past, this hasn't been the first time that we've gotten hit. We have to keep fighting and being a family. I am grateful that everyone supported me. At the end of the day, it is all about the W."
Machado said he expected to be suspended for his actions.
"I mean, there is probably going to be a suspension coming," he said. "Who knows what it is. You know, you have to deal with the consequences once you cross that line. Deal with it. It will suck that someone will be down but this is all part of the grind, part of being a team and being a family."
Machado was asked if he was surprised he got out there and landed a punch before the mass of bodies converged near the pitcher's mound.
"I haven't even honestly thought about it. Everything happened so fast. We let it eat. We are grown men out there, just handling our business," he said.
Here is Mark Trumbo's take: "It is unfortunately part of the game and it showed up tonight. It is not the first time it happened and it won't be the last. It is not where you want the focus to be, but when things happen you have to deal with them.
"We had a nice response with the home runs. There was a lot of emotion going on and hopefully you can use it to your advantage. I think everyone was pretty fired up after that. The crowd was into it. It was almost deafening. They were going nuts. It is not something you see all the time."
Trumbo was asked about the team supporting Machado after tonight's incident and whether he was surprised Machado got hit in the fifth after nearly getting hit in the second.
"Zero surprise factor," he said. "That is not the reason we play this game. It is important for everyone that is at this level to go about your business the right way. This isn't the type of stuff that is good for the game.
"He (Machado) is one of us. We are behind him through thick and thin. You know, I don't think this is going to become a huge deal. Right now it obviously is. We are just going to look forward to what's ahead."
Here is pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez's take: "There is no kidding when you are throwing 99 mph and hitting people. They have to find a way to help him out. They have to find somebody to help him out if they want him to stay a long time in the big leagues. He has such an amazing talent. But if things keep going like that, there is a lot of people not in baseball because of the way they act. He needs some help.
"He threw at him and of course, you are going to react. It is a fight out there if you see a guy throwing 99 at you. That is not easy to take. I think that he stepped up and did what he had to do."
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