Machado doesn't expect retaliation after Pedroia slide: 'It wasn't intentional'

Manny Machado says he didn't mean to injure Dustin Pedroia on Friday night, and it appears he isn't too concerned about any kind of retaliation, either.

The Orioles third baseman spiked Pedroia during a sliding attempt into second base in the game's eighth inning, forcing the Red Sox second baseman to limp off the field with an apparent injury.

Related: Pedroia spiked on Machado's aggressive slide

Although replays appeared to show Machado didn't let up on his slide, which ended up spiking Pedroia in his left calf, the 24-year-old Orioles superstar explained it was an accident.

"It wasn't intentional. Just look at the replay," Machado told reporters, according to Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com, adding that he's not concerned about potential retaliation. "You guys will see it. Me and Pedey go back. I would never want to hurt a guy like that."

Pedroia was livid after the game when asked about the play, and if he could discuss the slide rule put in place by Major League Baseball last season to protect infielders.

"I don't even know what the rule is," Pedroia told reporters. "I've turned the best double play in the major leagues for 11 years. I don't need a fucking rule."

The 24-year-old Machado told Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun he sent a text message to Pedroia because he felt bad about the incident, but hadn't received a response.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't appear to agree with Machado's confidence in Boston's lack of retaliation, however, telling Ghiroli: "he knows how these things usually go the next day."

Pedroia, who felt impact close to his surgically repaired knee, will see how he feels tomorrow before determining if he'll play in the second game of the series, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.