During the recent road series against the Boston Red Sox, there were times when it looked as if Manny Machado and Mookie Betts were trading line drives and waiting to see who blinked.
In Tuesday night’s game between the Orioles and the Washington Nationals, Bryce Harper hit a first-inning home run and Machado answered with his own in the bottom of the inning.
If it seemed as though three of the most exciting young players of their generation were engaged in a personal competition at the plate, Machado said Thursday that such appearances are deceiving.