Manny the Masher, Manny the Miscreant & Macho Manny

Most players are questioned ahead of their World Series debuts. Manny Machado was cross-examined.

October's villain is especially despised at Fenway Park for planting his spikes into Dustin Pedroia in April 2017 . The Boston second baseman hasn't been the same.

"That's old history," Machado said Monday, deflector shields raised.

Fans scream after Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado struck out during the first inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMatt Slocum)

He's Manny the Masher, Manny the Miscreant and Macho Manny all in one, whacking baseballs, opponents and questions.

Wearing a blue Los Angeles Dodgers World Series hoodie and gray pants, arms crossed, he sat between teammates Yasiel Puig and Ross Stripling, surrounded by a scrum of inquirers in the Pavilion Room on the 106-year-old ballpark's fourth level. Even with stubble on his chin and lips, Machado's face looked boyish. His hair was styled into cornrows at the top and a crew cut on the side.

With hard slides at second base against Milwaukee and a foot planted on the heel of Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar , Machado acquired notoriety far exceeding the attention he gained as a four-time All-Star infielder with Baltimore. He even earned condemnation from Pete Rose, whose own rambunctious play included running over Ray Fosse in an All-Star Game.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado answers questions for the World Series baseball game Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Boston. The Dodgers play the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018. (AP PhotoCharles Krupa)

"I don't think going in hard is the same as dragging your left foot, to kicking the guy's foot off the bag," Rose said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I don't know Manny Machado, so I don't know if he's a dirty player or if he's not. But I just thought when he hit the first baseman's foot it was kind of unnecessary."

A few weeks from becoming a free agent at the age of 26, Machado's actions could signal a giant "caveat emptor" sign to suitors, warning them buyer beware.

When he took out Pedroia during a slide at Baltimore on April 21 last year, Machado spiked his surgically repaired left knee and calf. Pedroia missed the next three games and has been limited to 92 games since.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado celebrates after winning Game 7 of the National League Championship Series baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Milwaukee. The Dodgers won 5-1. (AP PhotoMatt Slocum)

"I know how I hurt my knee and I know what happened. That's it. We all know," Pedroia said.

Machado's response was out of "The Godfather:" business, not personal.

"We're not friends," he said.

Because of what happened?

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado celebrates after Game 7 of the National League Championship Series baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Milwaukee. The Dodgers won 5-1 to advance to the World Series. (AP PhotoJeff Roberson)

"That's a good one, man. That's a good one. That's a really good one," he said, chuckling.

Anger festered. Two days after the slide, Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes threw a fastball behind Machado's head and was suspended for four games.

When the teams met that May 2, Chris Sale threw a pitch behind Machado's legs , and Machado criticized the Red Sox during a postgame interview that included 22 profanities in a 75-second span. He called Boston's behavior "coward stuff" and said "I've lost my respect for that organization, for that coaching staff, for everyone over there."

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado (8) hits a single during the fourth inning of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoJeff Roberson)

"We have bigger things to worry about now on both sides," Sale said ahead of his start in Tuesday night's opener. "We're not worried about any individual player."

Machado, as the saying goes, responded with his bat. He homered over the Green Monster and out of Fenway Park later in the series, then took a leisurely 29.8-second stroll around the bases . Machado's eight homers at Fenway are tied for his most at an opposing ballpark.

"For me to put something over that one, it's pretty cool," he said.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado bunts during the second inning of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMatt Slocum)

Machado drew renewed scrutiny in the NL Championship Series. He failed to run hard on a grounder in Game 2 , then made a pair of hard slides into Milwaukee's Orlando Arcia in Game 3 while the shortstop was attempting to turn double plays. While Arcia made a wild throw on the second after Machado clipped a knee with a hand, umpires called a double play following a video review.

During an interview broadcast on FS1 before Game 4 , Machado admitted "I'm not the type of player that's going to be Johnny Hustle and run down the line and slide to first base" and added: "That's just not my personality. That's not my cup of tea. That's not who I am."

In the 10th inning of that night's game, he kicked Aguilar on the back of a leg while running out a groundout. He was fined $10,000 by the commissioner's office, according to a person familiar with the discipline. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the penalty was not announced.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Machado (8) strikes out during the fifth inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoJeff Roberson)

"He's a player that has a history of those types of incidents," Milwaukee star Christian Yelich said. "One time is an accident. Repeated over and over and over again, you're just a dirty player. It's a dirty play by a dirty player."

Booed repeatedly when the series returned to Milwaukee, Machado surprised in Game 7 when he bunted on a 3-2 pitch from Jhoulys Chacín leading off the second inning and reached without a throw in 3.96 seconds, his fastest home-to-first time this year. It was the first full-count bunt single since Kansas City's Nori Aoki on May 29, 2014, and Cody Bellinger followed with a two-run homer that put the Dodgers ahead to stay.

"I can't say what I really want to say," Machado explained in the jubilant clubhouse, "I know you want me to say it. You want a big story to write tomorrow. ... He quick-pitched me. I'm going to drop one down. I know it was a little ballsy. But anything to win, and it came out perfect."

He was acquired from Baltimore on July 18 to replace injured shortstop Corey Seager. Machado hit .297 with 37 homers and 107 RBIs in the regular season, and he batted .250 with three homers and nine RBIs in 11 playoff games.

He's done what was expected, "has a good way to channel that for the positive," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Machado's answers to most everything are similar: whatever it takes.

"I'm here to play baseball," he said. "I'm here to win a World Series. I'm here to bring a parade to the city of Los Angeles."

And then, perhaps, leave.

More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLB and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel talked to his team about being prepared to bleed as New England entered its first playoff game since the 2021 season.

Then, shortly after Milton Williams sacked the Chargers' Justin Herbert on Sunday night to secure the Patriots' first playoff victory in seven years, Williams celebrated with a head-butt of Vrabel.

It knocked the first-year coach backward and bloodied his lip.

“The big dogs come out in January. I think Milt took that to heart,” Vrabel said. “He came over and got me pretty good. But that’s what happens.”

Drake Maye threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter, and New England's defense roughed up Herbert as the Patriots beat Los Angeles 16-3 in an AFC wild-card playoff game.

Andy Borregales kicked three field goals for the Patriots (15-3), who hadn't won in the postseason since their Super Bowl victory to cap the 2018 season. They’ll host the winner of Monday night’s game between Pittsburgh and Houston in the divisional round.

In his playoff debut, Maye completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards and ran for a team-high 66 yards.

“We made plays when we had to do it,” Maye said.

He also threw an interception and lost a fumble, but the Chargers (11-7) couldn't capitalize on those turnovers.

New England held Los Angeles to 207 yards of offense and sacked Herbert six times, with one of those resulting in a lost fumble that set up the Patriots' TD.

“It's on us, what we do. I've been saying that all season,” Williams said. “We can control the game. If we do what we need to do up front, we're going to win.”

This is the second straight season in which the Chargers have lost in the wild-card round. Herbert finished 19 of 31 for 159 yards and was his team's leading rusher with 57 yards as he fell to 0-3 in the playoffs.

Herbert was just over a month removed from surgery to repair a broken bone in his nonthrowing hand.

“There was no issue,” Herbert said. “I just have to do a better job holding on to the ball.”

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said his quarterback wasn't 100 percent.

“He’s a warrior. He just gives it everything he has, all the time,” Harbaugh said, acknowledging that Herbert was limited by his hand injury. “It’s an issue, but he doesn’t flinch, like a warrior would.”

The last time the Chargers failed to score a TD in the playoffs was their 21-12 AFC championship game loss to the Patriots during the 2007 season.

The Patriots drove into the red zone on their first possession of the third quarter, but the drive ended when Maye was strip-sacked by Odafe Oweh and De'Shawn Hand recovered for the Chargers.

After Los Angeles punted, Maye connected on a pass to Kayshon Boutte that went for 42 yards to set the Patriots up on the Chargers 27. But New England settled for a 39-yard field goal that stretched their lead to 9-3.

Early in the fourth quarter, Maye used a 16-yard pass to Boutte and a 13-yard burst by Rhamondre Stevenson to set up his precise 28-yard TD toss to Henry that put the Patriots in front 16-3.

The Chargers picked up back-to-back first downs to open their ensuing drive. But when Herbert dropped back to pass on the next play, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson strip-sacked him and fell on loose ball.

Los Angeles had one final possession, but it ended with Herbert getting sacked by Williams on fourth down.

“It’s playoff football. It’s going to get ugly. It’s going to get nasty. But you’ve got to keep going,” Williams said.

The opening quarter had lots of action, but it took until early in the second quarter for the Patriots to end a scoreless stalemate.

With New England pinned inside its own 10 after a Chargers punt, Maye had a pass intended for Austin Hooper tipped by Teair Tart and intercepted by Daiyan Henley.

Los Angeles started with the ball on the Patriots 10 but was stopped on fourth-and-2 when Herbert misfired a pass to Keenan Allen.

The Patriots took over and got some breathing room via a 48-yard catch-and-run by Stevenson.

Thirteen plays and a fourth-down conversion later, the drive ended with Borregales' 23-yard field goal.

Patriots: CB Carlton Davis left in the first half with a toe injury but returned. ... CB Christian Gonzalez left in the second half with a head injury.

Chargers: End of season.

Patriots: Host either Houston or Pittsburgh next Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss celebrates after recovering a fumble by Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry, left, catches a pass next to Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) and carries it in for a touchdown in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

New England Patriots defensive end Milton Williams (97), linebacker Christian Elliss (53) and linebacker Robert Spillane (14) celebrate Williams' sack of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, left, avoids a tackle by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) passes in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the New England Patriots, in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (33) celebrates a tackle in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is sacked by New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings, rear, in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) avoids a tackle by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)