Brewers must resist urge to retaliate against Manny Machado
LOS ANGELES – For the Milwaukee Brewers, the idea of retaliation must be intoxicating.
The thought of Brewers pitcher Wade Miley, who will start Game 5 Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, drilling Manny Machado in the ribs with a fastball must be sickly sweet.
The pleasure of watching Machado, the Dodgers polarizing shortstop, doubled over in pain and staggering towards first base in pain, well, must be beyond satisfying.
What a massive mistake it would be.
More: Brewers seethe after Manny Machado kicks Jesus Aguilar: 'Dirty play by a dirty player'
More: When is Manny Machado going to be held accountable for his antics?
With the series tied 2-2, the Brewers must exhibit self-control a day after Machado kicked Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar in back of the right leg as Machado ran out a ground ball in the 10th inning of Game 4. But naturally, the play has fueled speculation about what might happen Wednesday.
There's legitimate reason to wonder if those unwritten rules of baseball – the ones that dictate when a player must pay for his on-field sins – will be in effect.
"A dirty play by a dirty player,’’ Christian Yelich, the Brewers star outfielder, told reporters after the Dodgers 2-1 victory in 13 innings. “It absolutely is.’’
Travis Shaw, the Brewers third baseman, added, “It’s a dirty play. He can say whatever he wants. It was dirty.’’
Dirty begets dirty.
Sometimes dirty deserves dirty.
It’s no dirty little secret that Machado deserves some form of retribution.
Yet the tit-for-tat impulse could be way too costly for the Brewers, especially in a series that has been as close as this one. Plunking Machado and putting him on base could lead to a key run. Things would get worse if Miley gets a warning from the umpire, which could lead to ejection for him or a teammate later in the game.
There may be a chance for the Brewers to exact revenge next season, in baseball’s old-school way. But for now, there’s a smarter way, if less immediate and less visceral, for Brewers to inflict pain.
Win the series.