Padres’ Mike Shildt Stands by Manny Machado as He Defends Him Against Criticism Over His Controversial Throw at the Dodgers’ Dugout, Highlighting the Importance of Team Unity .giang

San Diego Padres manager Mike Schildt defended third baseman Manny Machado amid criticism from the Los Angeles Dodgers after he threw a ball toward their dugout during warmups prior to the bottom of the sixth inning in Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Sunday.

“I don’t think there was any intent at all with that. Manny has exceptional arm talent. I think he proved that on the triple play,” Shildt said, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Shildt was referring to the triple play Machado started on Sept. 24 to close a 4-2, postseason-clinching win against the Dodgers.

L.A. manager Dave Roberts notably called Machado’s throw “unsettling.”

“I didn’t notice it at the time,” Roberts said Monday, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

“I really didn’t. I didn’t notice it. I did see the video. And it was unsettling. … If it was intended at me, I would be very—it’s pretty disrespectful.”

Video of the throw emerged afterward.

Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the Dodgers have also shared video of the Machado throw with the MLB office.

It’s clear the Dodgers were not pleased with Machado, particularly starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

“Everybody catches the tail end of it, of me and him going at it, but I was sitting there for my team,” Flaherty said, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. “He was throwing at our dugout. The umpires went over immediately. I don’t know what their conversation was, but our dugout was fired up because there’s no reason for that.”

Machado had this to say on the matter: “I throw balls all the time into the dugouts. Both dugouts. They have bat boys, you throw the ball back in there.”

The Machado throw was another storyline in a heated, emotional and competitive series that reached an ugly apex late in the game, when objects were thrown at Jurickson Profar, Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres bullpen.

“First, two baseballs were fired at left fielder Jurickson Profar,” Ryan Phillips of Fox 4 KC wrote. “Then several objects were launched in the direction of Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field. As if that wasn’t bad enough, video has surfaced of fans throwing objects at Padres pitchers in the bullpen.”

The objects included beer cans and water bottles. Security guards lined the field, and the game was delayed for 10 minutes. Order was later restored, and the Padres finished off a 10-2 win.

Now the best-of-five series shifts to San Diego for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday. A split would send the series back to L.A. for Game 5 on Friday.