Dustin Pedroia’s criteria for retaliation, everyone learned in Baltimore, appears to include immediacy.
Chris Sale obliged.
Sale’s first pitch to Manny Machado on Tuesday at Fenway Park was well behind the Orioles third baseman, yet another salvo in this Orioles-Red Sox hit batsmen war.
There were two out in the first inning, and home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn immediately issued warnings. Machado was clearly upset.
Machado struck out, just as the other two batters Sale faced in the inning — including the previous hitter, Adam Jones, who was the story of the day because of the racist comments he received at Fenway Park on Monday.
When Sale got back in the dugout, he was fired up, high-fiving teammates.
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Boston Red Sox
First, Machado spiked Pedroia. Then, Matt Barnes threw close to Machado's head (after Eduardo Rodriguez appeared to miss hitting Machado). Then Mookie Betts took a pitch in the hip Monday night from Dylan Bundy.
On Tuesday, Sale volleyed back.