Manny Machado: "To have that across our chest today meant a lot"

Manny Machado said it meant a lot to take the field tonight wearing the white jersey with "Baltimore" in script across the chest.

The Orioles finally returned home and a vocal crowd provided support before, during and after their 5-2 win over Toronto, as they wore specially designed jerseys to show support for Baltimore.

"It was awesome," Machado said. "Definitely a tough couple of weeks. Great to get back home and get Baltimore the win we needed. A great team win and we did it for the city.

"We are representing the city every day we go out there. To have that across our chest today meant a lot. We're just trying to rep the city the right way and show them who we are."

Machado hit a leadoff homer on a 3-2 pitch to start a three-run first inning for the Orioles. Early momentum was provided and they carried it to a win.

"We've been struggling these past couple weeks with the bat so it was good to see the bats alive again," Machado said after hitting his sixth homer and his fifth in the last 15 games. "We have to continue that. Have to be out here swinging. We're an aggressive team.

"It is good when you can get on the board quick. Ubaldo (Jimenez) struck out the side, so it was good to keep the momentum going. It was a great win."

Meanwhile, just four days after returning from a stint on the disabled list with a right groin strain, Ryan Flaherty left tonight's game in the top of the third. Playing second base, he felt the groin grab again while pursuing a Ryan Goins single up the middle.

"It's not pain or anything like that," Flaherty said. "Just something that I haven't dealt with before. Just feels like a grabbing sensation sometimes."

Flaherty said the severity of the injury was nothing like it was when he went on the DL.

"No not like that at all," he said. "And it felt 100 percent when I was playing my rehab games. But obviously, my first at-bat in New York, kind of felt it grab again. There are days it feels 100 percent and some days when you are crossing over, you feel it.

"Pretty frustrating. My first injury and really felt 100 percent after five days of it. To still be dealing with it now is kind of frustrating."

Flaherty is expected to have an MRI tomorrow. He was asked if he feels this latest setback will send him back to the DL.

"Obviously, that is not all in my hands. But it doesn't feel severe, like something is seriously wrong. It's just something that is nagging and bothering me," he said.

Jimenez went seven innings, allowing two runs, to get the win.

"The main thing was I had real good command of the fastball. We kept going fastball away and down in the zone, and Joseph was calling a great game. We played good defense and scored runs right away. It was a good game," he said.

Jimenez set a season high with nine strikeouts. He improved to 6-0 with a 2.14 ERA in his last seven starts at Camden Yards since June 25. He also went seven innings for the third time.

"That is what I want. As a starting pitcher that is something you take pride in doing. Hope I can stay consistent with it," Jimenez said.

"It felt great, good to be back. That was some crowd. They were into the game from the first pitch. That motivates you as a player, having those fans out there. Felt really good."

Chris Davis, who hit a two-run homer in the first, echoed those sentiments about the energetic crowd.

"It was good," Davis said. "Was excited to see the Baltimore jerseys. That was something cool that we did. It was nice to hear the 'O!' in the anthem."

Davis threw some praise Jimenez's way.

"He's been throwing the ball so well lately," Davis said. "As an offense, we just wanted to score early and give him some breathing room. He's been fun to play behind. Throwing strikes, getting ahead of guys, good tempo. All his hard work paid off."

After the game, Davis made one of his quickest moves of the night when he avoided a postgame pie in the face from Adam Jones.

"I wasn't going to let him get me. Some fans booed. They always want to see someone get slammed in the face with a pie. Can't blame them," Davis said.