Papelbon on ejection for hitting Machado: "I was pretty surprised"

The Orioles' Manny Machado crushes a two-run shot in the seventh versus Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer.

In the ninth with two outs, Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon throws a wild pitch early to Machado that's up by his batting helmet. Later in the at-bat, he drills Machado in the left shoulder.

Home plate umpire Mark Ripperger throws Papelbon out of the game.

Papelbon was not warned for his high pitch early in the at-bat. The benches were not warned. But the hit-by-pitch was all Ripperger needed to run Papelbon.

"I was pretty surprised," Papelbon said of the ejection. "I thought that Mark let the crowd get into it a little bit there. I think he allowed that to dictate his decision to toss me there, which as players and as umpires, we got to keep our cool out there and let the game play out for yourself."

Papelbon said the umpires believed he threw the pitch at Machado on purpose. Papelbon also said he doesn't know what Machado thinks of what he did.

"They just said they deemed it intentional and they didn't give me any reason," Papelbon said. "So I don't know if they have to give me a reason or not. Perception's reality. If Manny thinks I hit him, that's what he thinks. I'm not going to sit here and go back and forth whether I did or whether I didn't because it doesn't matter. If he thinks I did, it's what he thinks."

Machado believed that Papelbon was going after him.

"It's just bull****," Machado said. "It's something. I mean a 10-year vet with more than ten years in the game and he's going to go out there and throw at somebody's head. I mean, once, and then he throws a curveball to kind of (inaudible) the mood, then throws up at the head. It's something that's uncalled for.

"It's something that you don't do. I expect more from a guy like that with the past that he has. You've just got to go out there and keep playing baseball. It's part of the game. If you can't take the heat, just stay out of the kitchen and just go on from it. You don't throw at somebody's head. I think that's bull****. I think we've just got to keep playing baseball."

Papelbon reiterated he did not know what Machado thinks of what he did. Papelbon said there could be retaliation Thursday in the last meeting between the clubs this season.

"I don't know what is going through his mind out there," Papelbon said. "All I can tell you is I'm going out there and trying to pitch and do my thing out there and that's all that really matters. Whether they want to get somebody tomorrow or not, it's up to them."

Papelbon said he saw Machado watch his homer against Scherzer, but he denied it led him to go after the Orioles third baseman in the ninth.

"I don't have a problem," Papelbon said. "If a guy takes someone deep and they want to do whatever they want, that's fine with me. That's baseball. Let's play the game. Don't let the game dictate or fans dictate otherwise, play the game of baseball."

Papelbon also said he didn't talk to Machado after the hit-by-pitch. The MASN replay shows Papelbon talking to the home plate umpire after the play.

"I had no exchange," Papelbon said. "I didn't hear nothing. I'm in a zone out there. I can't hear nothing."

"Am I being targeted?" Machado repeated the question. "I don't necessarily think I'm being targeted. I'm going up there making good swings. If people are trying to hit me, it's part of the game. I'm not worried about getting hit. I'll take the hits. It's part of the game. Pitchers out there, the ball can slip out of your hand, but when you throw at the head on first pitch right from the get-go then you throw a curveball and then you throw again at the head, that's just bull****. It's coward stuff. It's just cowardly."

The bottom line is the Orioles defeated the Nationals 4-3 and the Mets' magic number is five.