Betts done with Orioles-Red Sox tension: 'It's gotta be over'

After the last couple weeks, you'd be forgiven if you assumed the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles were the only teams in all of baseball. Whether following onfield antics or fans spouting racist epithets from the stands, the AL East rivals have dominated the news cycle.

It didn't take long for bubbling animosity to once again take over on Tuesday after Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale threw behind Orioles third baseman Manny Machado.

Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts is tired of it, and wants the play on the field to do the talking, according to CSNNE's Evan Drellich.

"You would say it's over. I mean, it's gotta be over. Gotta go out and play the game."

Machado was ... unimpressed with Sale and the Red Sox for throwing behind him, presumably in retaliation for Dylan Bundy hitting Betts the night before, which was itself a form of retaliation. So it goes.

That Machado no longer respects the Red Sox isn't weighing heavily on Betts.

"He can speak for himself, and there's nothing wrong with it," Betts said. "It's just his feelings."

Two more games remain in the present series at Fenway Park. While cooler heads may prevail, that could have been the expectation before Tuesday's game. Or Monday's. Or the final game of the previous series.