Machado does it again (O's win 5-3)

Just Manny being Manny again. Manny Machado hit his third major league home run today, and his first that was reviewed by umpires. Machado's two-run shot, initially ruled a double, gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The ball hit the top of the center-field fence and kicked off the back wall. The review lasted about 12 seconds. Machado crushed two hanging breaking balls in his second major league game. Today, he launched an 86 mph sinker from former Orioles left-hander Bruce Chen, who still has a knack for slowing the pace of a game to a pub crawl. Machado hit 11 home runs in 402 at-bats at Double-A Bowie before the Orioles selected his contract. He's hit three in 13 major league at-bats. Does that many any sense? Maybe the Eastern League pitchers have a more thorough scouting report on him. Maybe it's the No. 13. Update: The Orioles no longer have the lead. Tommy Hunter served up his 27th home run, a solo shot to Mike Moustakas leading off the fourth, and Brayan Pena lifted a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Hunter has thrown 78 pitches in four innings. Lew Ford made a strong throw from left field after catching Pena's fly ball, but catcher Taylor Teagarden couldn't play the hop. Mark Reynolds saved Hunter from falling behind with a diving stop down the line. He ran to the bag to retire Chris Getz. Reynolds also came up with a J.J. Hardy throw in the dirt earlier in the game, saving the Orioles' shortstop from an error. Ford, by the way, is 0-for-2 today and 4-for-27 since the Orioles selected his contract. Machado flied to left-center field in his second at-bat today to end the bottom of the fourth. Update II: The Royals took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth on Moustakas' double play grounder, and Nick Markakis tied the game in the bottom half with his 13th home run. Markakis is 8-for-15 lifetime against Chen. Hunter allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings, with two walks, two strikeouts and one home run. He threw 94 pitches, 60 for strikes. Kevin Gausman tossed three more scoreless innings today at short-season Single-A Aberdeen, giving him six as a professional. He allowed one hit, walked none and struck out three. He threw 21 of his 30 pitches for strikes. Update III: Chen issued back-to-back walks in the bottom of the sixth, and Reynolds singled off reliever Louis Coleman to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead. Reynolds has 35 RBIs this season, and three in his last five games. Troy Patton has entered the game in the top of the seventh. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 17 appearances. Update IV: The Orioles tacked on an unearned run in the eighth on a passed ball that followed Nate McLouth's leadoff walk, an Adam Jones single and Ford's sacrifice bunt. Jim Johnson recorded his 34th save, tying him with Don Aase for sixth place on the club's all-time single-season list. McLouth made a sensational diving catch in center to end the seventh. He moved to left field in the ninth, with Jones going to center. Manager Buck Showalter surrendered his designated hitter. The Orioles didn't give up this game. They split the four-game series with the Royals and improved to 62-53. Today's attendance: 20,935



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