Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter lauded his team’s “courage” for not retaliating after Boston Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes threw near Manny Machado’s head during the last meeting between the two teams on April 23.
But Orioles starter Dylan Bundy hit Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts during the sixth inning of Monday’s 5-2 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park, which, of course, sparked questions about the powerful right-hander’s intentions.
It’s impossible to know if Bundy was trying to hit the Red Sox star with the Orioles clinging to a two-run lead, and the Red Sox didn’t have a lot to say on the intent after the game.
“I can’t answer that,” manager John Farrell said about Bundy’s intent, as seen on “Red Sox Extra-Innings Live.” “That’s a question that he’s going to have to answer himself.”
Red Sox starter Rick Porcello didn’t know if it was intentional, but the reigning American League Cy Young winner did have a message after the game.
“What was the count? 2-1? I don’t know,” Porcello said as seen on “Red Sox Extra-Innings Live.” “Thankfully Mookie is alright and we will go out there and kick their ass tomorrow.”
Bundy did hit Betts with his second hardest pitch of the night, and his hardest pitch also was an inside fastball to Betts.
Betts also didn’t wish to speculate on Bundy’s intention.
“You’d have to ask him that,” Betts said as seen on “Red Sox Extra-Innings Live.” “It is what it is. I got hit and I take my base. ”
As for the Orioles, manager Buck Showalter shot down any notion that his club was trying to retaliate for the incident between Barnes and Machado.
“Nobody’s trying to hit anybody,” Showalter said, per ESPN’s Scott Lauber.
According to Bundy the ball simply got away from him, which is eerily similar to what Farrell and Barnes said about the pitch that was near Machado’s head.
The rivalry between the Orioles and Red Sox seems to grow with each game.
Here are more notes from Red Sox vs. Orioles.
— The Red Sox placed knuckleballer Steven Wright on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained left knee and recalled Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket after the game. Workman is expected to work out of the bullpen, while Wright’s replacement in the rotation has not yet been named.
— First baseman Mitch Moreland is 1-for-18 on the current homestand.
— The Red Sox have grounded into 31 double plays so far on the season, which is tied for the second-most in the major leagues.
— Sandy Leon now is 4-for-35 against right-handed pitching this season, which is a batting average of .114.
— Xander Bogaerts leads Major League Baseball with 230 hits at home since the start of the 2015 season.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
