In a contentious matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres, relief pitcher Angel Perdomo found himself at the center of a controversy. Major League Baseball has taken decisive action against Perdomo for deliberately targeting Padres star third baseman Manny Machado with a fastball to the back during Tuesday’s game.
In response to the incident, the league handed Perdomo a three-game suspension, along with an undisclosed fine. The incident occurred in the seventh inning of the game, shortly after Perdomo gave up a home run to Juan Soto. The tension between the teams escalated when Perdomo’s 98 mph fastball struck Machado, resulting in an ejection from the game.
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The Padres ultimately secured a 5-1 victory over the Pirates that day. As a consequence of Perdomo’s actions, Pirates manager Derek Shelton also received a one-game suspension and a fine. The league deemed that Shelton’s responsibility as the team’s manager extended to maintaining discipline and preventing such incidents.
Perdomo Explains the Pitch that Hit Machado
“I gave all my best to Soto, all my pitches. He got the home run against me. And then against Machado, I just tried to come in and went too far in and hit him by mistake“, Perdomo commented after the game. Shelton echoed Perdomo’s sentiment, stating that the pitch simply got away from the pitcher and hit Machado unintentionally.
The Pittsburgh Pirates concluded their three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, with Perdomo and Shelton serving their respective suspensions. Perdomo, who joined the Pirates as a free agent this season, has a 3.92 ERA in 21 appearances.
Looking back on Perdomo’s career, the 29-year-old reliever holds a record of 2-1 with a 6.02 ERA across 43 relief appearances spanning three seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers and Pirates. As Perdomo and the team face the consequences of this incident, both the Pirates and MLB hope for a future marked by fair competition and sportsmanship.
