Who says Manny Machado won’t go the extra mile for his team?
The Dodgers shortstop, fresh off criticism for not hustling out a ground ball in Game 2 of the NLCS, completed two awkward take-out slides at second base in Game 3 on Monday night in Los Angeles — the second time being in violation of the “Chase Utley” slide rule.
After singling to lead off the second inning, Machado tried to break up a possible double play by sliding hard and directly under Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia with is right arm raised. Machado hit Arcia near his groin as he turned awkwardly around the bag.
The Brewers couldn’t challenge that Machado, who hopes to land a mega-contract this offseason, violated the slide rule on that play, but they did challenge an even more egregious slide in the fourth inning.
He walked and again went in hard to second base on a grounder by Cody Bellinger. This time Machado veered well left of the bag and tired to hook the leg of Arcia, whose throw to first was wildly low, with his right arm. The Brewers won the challenge and Bellinger was ruled out for a double play.
Arcia got a level of payback when he launched a two-run home run in the top of the seventh to put the Brewers up 4-0.
The Dodgers are no strangers to controversial slides after Utley broke Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada’s leg on a late slide into second during the 2015 NLDS.
