Minutes after tonight's game, Orioles pitcher Josh Rupe said it was not his intention to hit Yankees catcher Russell Martin with a pitch when he did just that in the top of the ninth inning tonight.
Martin had homered in each of his two previous at bats.
"Trust me, that's the last thing I want to do is go out there and make that situation look how it looked," Rupe told reporters in the Orioles clubhouse. "I pitch in. I am already out there and had given up a home run and, yeah, I'm a little pissed off, but I'm not going resort to possibly hurting a guy or ending his career or anything like that. There is no reason to do that.
"I'm not that type of guy. I'm trying to pitch in and get people out. Didn't do a good job at all tonight, was all over the map. For me, no, I'm not that type of guy. I looked at the video and it didn't look good, but there is no way I would do that. I know how to hit a guy and when the situation calls for it and that wasn't it. No, I wouldn't do that."
Rupe was asked if he would say anything tomorrow to Martin.
"Yeah, I feel bad, too. I don't want one of our guys to get hit in return," Rupe said. "I'm not here to get anybody hurt, our team or their team. If I see him tomorrow, I'd say 'Hey, I know how it looked. I'm trying to pitch in.' He's a catcher so he may hopefully understand more than most guys, but there is no intent there at all."
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