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MILWAUKEE – While they were chewing their free hamburgers in one of George Webb's restaurants in the Milwaukee area Thursday afternoon, Brewers fans had two things in their minds: extend the championship series of the National League at a decisive game 7 and ensure that Los Angeles Manny Machado, star player of the Dodgers, receives the welcome worthy of the name, while the candidate of the Brewers' Most Outstanding player, Christian Yelich, called Machado, a "dirty player".
"His antics in Los Angeles will lead to a lot of boos," said Gerald Mortensen, a Brewers fan from Wausau, Wisconsin. "A lot of booing." He basically tried to hurt one of our players.
Manny Machado was sentenced to a fine not disclosed by Major League Baseball for meeting Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar in Game 4 of the NLCS on Tuesday night, ESPN confirmed. Athletic first reported the fine.
"It's a player who has a history of this type of incident," said Christian Yelich, star of the Brewers, about Manny Machado of the Dodgers.
From the Wild Cards round to the World Series, we'll be covering the 2018 playoffs.
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The George Webb restaurants were a hub of activity Thursday afternoon because it was the day the chain had promised to serve free burgers as a result of the gain of at least 12 consecutive games of the Brewers. The series came to an end last week and Milwaukee is now facing a "do-or-die" situation ahead of Friday's game 6 of Game 6 of the NLCS, going from three to two. And in addition to shooting for the Brewers, fans can gather around a common enemy.
Machado will be on the field at Miller Park for the first time since his controversial dribbles to second base and his near-victory over first-year Brewers player Jesus Aguilar when he outclassed in all three games played in Los Angeles. Angeles. Fans of the brewers say that they will be ready for him.
"Of course, they will boo him," said Francisco Hernandez of Milwaukee. "The slide was unjustified, and he did it twice – not once, but twice – no doubt he did it on purpose for Aguilar as well." No doubt about it. "
One could feel the anger, which was only partly alleviated as fans savored their hamburgers. Their hunger was satisfied, but their dislike of the new playoff villain was just as strong.
Even for those who know him best, Machado is an enigma, a good kid who simply can not help it.
"Manny's not mean, but then you see some of these things and you're leaving," Come on, man. "Really ?," said Machado's former director, Buck Showalter, on the phone. . "As a teammate, manager or coach, you try to support, but he has to give me something to work with, it's hard to defend that."
As expected, Showalter is related to Machado, who went through the Orioles system while Showalter was Baltimore's manager. But there have been too many incidents to neglect. As Yelich pointed out, it is not a first offense for the next free agent.
"I can not defend him," Showalter said of the game at first base. "I thought about it, in his mind I'm sure he could do it again, it would not happen, but it was."
We did not even get the idea that Machado – incredibly – had admitted in an interview on Fox that he did not mix with all the pieces he had shown at the beginning of the series. Showalter did not want to comment on that, but Brewers fans were more than happy to do their part.
"I think Aguilar kept his foot on the base because he did not expect Machado to be there for half an hour," Mortensen said with a smirk. "He is the opposite of all that Wisconsin defends and the Brewers defend."
Mortensen rightly recognized the Milwaukee player The suspension of Ryan Braun for violating the baseball drug program a few years ago. These things are not unique to a player or a team, but Machado is the villain of the moment. However, if fans hope that the reaction to Miller Park could put Machado in trouble, Showalter says to forget.
"It will not bother him," he said. "If you look at all these things before, it stimulates him."
This will not prevent Milwaukee fans from showing their disgust, if the crowd of George Webb gives any indication.
"Machado?" David Schulst said. "He will have his cravings, but we need a win."
Oh yes, there is this little thing about winning, otherwise it would mean the end of a very successful year for the Brewers and their fans.
From the first launch of each series to the last of Game 7, you can follow the full post-season MLB on ESPN Radio. Listening »
"We all want to talk about something, and you have it too," said Craig Counsell, manager of Milwaukee, after Match 4, when Machado met Aguilar. "It's great, but, man, you know, there are easy conditions to put in this day and these next four days will be focused on achieving your dreams, which would make those other things very meaningless and capable of worry about it, different weather. "
Of course, that did not stop Counsell from trying his luck against Machado, saying he did not think Machado was playing "so hard". So, everyone is apparently interested in getting his often controversial star flesh. But he also had his shots in the series, since he scored the winning point in the fourth epic 13-run match and produced a .935 OPS.
"I do not think it's going to affect it negatively, no," Dave Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Machado's pending reception in Milwaukee.
The reality is that the outcome of the game will be the actual scenario, but with the potential of 40,000 or more fans concentrating their anger in one direction, Machado's narrative will not fail to be interesting.
"It's going to be pretty salty for him here," Mortensen said. "It's the guy who plays when he wants to play, we'll boo when we want to boo."
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