Manny Machado just got done serving as the target for angered Milwaukee Brewers fans, but facing the Boston Red Sox in the World Series may not exactly bring any sort of escape. The Los Angeles Dodgers don’t have home-field advantage and therefore could play upwards of four games at Fenway Park.
Having previously spent the entirety of his career with the Baltimore Orioles, that Machado has extensive experience with the Red Sox could wind up proving beneficial or be a distraction. After all, there are a history of exchange dating back to last season.
One of which came with Chris Sale on the mound, though he asserted it was a non-issue for himself and the Red Sox. “We have bigger things to worry about now on both sides, on their side and on our side,” Sale said ahead of his Game 1 start.
“We’re dedicated to winning this World Series and bringing a championship to our city. We’re not worried about any individual player. We’ve got one thing in mind and that’s winning.”
When pressed further about Machado’s reputation and his actions in the National League Championship Series, Sale again deflected. “That’s not my team. We’ve got one thing on our mind and that’s winning the World Series,” he said.
In April 2017, Machado angered the Red Sox with a high slide into second base. He spiked Dustin Pedroia, which forced the second baseman to leave the game. Two days later, Red Sox pitcher Matt Barnes threw behind and near Machado’s head. He was seen yelling in Pedroia’s direction after the incident.
On May 2, 2017, Sale threw behind Machado in a game at Fenway Park. The AllS-tar shortstop used expletives to voice his dissatisfaction with and lost of respect for the Red Sox organization. Two nights later he clubbed a home run over and took nearly 30 seconds to round the bases.
Like Sale, Machado didn’t directly address the history of bad blood. Considering the stakes of the World Series, it’s unlikely there will be any sort of carryover or retribution.
