Don’t blame Dustin Pedroia for Manny Machado almost getting hit in the head by a fastball from Boston Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes.
The incident can certainly be interpreted as retaliation for Machado’s dirty slide that took out Pedroia earlier in the series, which is clearly how the Baltimore Orioles view it. Sending a message by beaning an opposing hitter in these situations has long been the expectation in baseball, but you never aim for the head.
The veteran Pedroia is well are of that, which is why he expressed his disappointment in his teammate’s actions when discussing the events following Sunday’s game.