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Dodgers’ Roberts Suspects ‘Intent’ in Spat With Manny Machado in Game 2

Ryan Phillips

Roberts addressed the media before Game 3 of the NLDS.
Roberts addressed the media before Game 3 of the NLDS. / Via 97.3 The Fan's X account
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Baseball fans were not having it with Dave Roberts's latest quote.

On Monday afternoon on the eve of Game 3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers' NLDS matchup with the San Diego Padres, Roberts made an odd statement.

The Dodgers manager was asked about reports of Padres third baseman Manny Machado tossing a ball into the L.A. dugout during a contentious Game 2 on Sunday night. Roberts claimed he saw video that showed Machado throwing a ball at him that was stopped by a net. He said he thought there was "intent behind it."

Video is below.

For his part, after the game, Machado claimed he was throwing the ball over to the ball boy, something he does often.

Roberts then followed up his claim about Machado by saying, "That team over there, they like the villain-type kind of role."

That's an odd thing to say the night after Dodgers fans threw things at Padres players on multiple occasions during their 10–2 win over L.A. in Game 2. Also, it's rich to hear someone associated with a team that spent roughly $1.2 billion over the offseason discuss another team embracing a "villain-type kind of role."

MLB fans weren't on board with Roberts's statement.

Yeah, not sure that characterization is going to go over well with people after what happened Sunday night.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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