Since there are no lie detectors in baseball, it's impossible to know with complete certainty whether a pitcher is lying when he says he never intended to throw at a player. So everyone's going to form their own opinion about the pitch that reliever Matt Barnes sizzled behind Manny Machado's head in the eighth inning of Sunday's game between the Orioles and Boston Red Sox.
Of course, the past is prologue. The Red Sox were understandably upset after Machado's late slide Friday night knocked Boston star Dustin Pedroia out of the series with a spike wound and knee and ankle soreness.