Derek Norris on Manny Machado bat-throwing incident: 'Things like that stain your career'

The Oakland Athletics earned their 39th victory of the season Sunday with a 11-1 pounding of the Baltimore Orioles, but it was Manny Machado's bat-throwing incident that dominated much of the conversation after the game.

The trouble started in the eighth inning when A's left-hander Fernando Abad threw inside to Machado, who then flung his bat towards third base. Words were exchanged, benches were cleared, and Abad and Machado were both ejected.

Machado insists the bat slipped out of his hands. The A's, however, aren't buying it.

"That was worst temper tantrum I've probably ever seen on a baseball field," said Oakland pitcher Scott Kazmir, via John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News. "He tried to say that he lost the bat. That clearly wasn't the case."

On Friday, Machado went nose-to-nose with Josh Donaldson, accusing the third baseman of tagging him too hard. Benches were cleared in that game as well, and several A's players said they were prepared in case Machado did anything unexpected.

"It got pretty intense there for a while," said John Jaso, who had four RBIs for the A's. "There is a certain respect you have to have for this game. When I feel that somebody doesn't see that and doesn't respect the game, I really don't like it.

"I felt there wasn't respect for the game coming from one player. He said the tag [Friday] was hard, but on video, it was just a normal tag. And you start to think, 'Who does this guy think he is?'"

Adding to the A's frustration was the fact that catcher Derek Norris did not receive an apology from Machado after getting hit twice with his backswing. Norris left the game in the sixth inning and did not return.

"[Machado] can't leave here today thinking he's done nothing wrong," Norris said. "What he is doing is a disgrace to baseball. Things like that stain your career."

The A's and Orioles will meet again following the All-Star break, July 18-20.