Machado has been checking in on his former Bowie teammates

Even as he plays in this big series at Camden Yards, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado certainly has not forgotten the Double-A Bowie teammates he left behind a few weeks ago. Machado was a big part of the team's success this year and he's excited to see that their winning continued even after he left for the majors. He said he talked to a few of his former Baysox teammates on Thursday, the day after they won Game 1 of their playoff series with Akron. "I talked to (Jonathan) Schoop today and Zelous Wheeler. They told me about the game and how well they played. I think they've got a real good chance of winning," Machado said. "I'm excited for them. I played with them the whole year, want them to continue to play well and hope they get a ring this year." Bowie takes a 2-0 lead into Game 3 of that series tonight and one more win will send the Baysox to their first-ever Eastern League championship series. Meanwhile, Machado's bat is percolating again for the Orioles. Over his last seven games, he is 12-for-29 (.414) with two doubles, three RBIs and five multi-hit games. On the year, he is batting .284 in 26 games with three homers, 13 RBIs, 11 extra-base hits and a .791 OPS. "Just trying to keep doing the same things (at the plate)," he said. "Really haven't changed anything much. Just keep playing the game and relax out there. It is just part of the game, where you fail three out of 10 times. "You have to go up there confident in your swing and how you've prepared for the game and just take that confidence every at-bat and focus every at-bat." Machado said the mood in the O's clubhouse is just fun right now and everyone is keeping it loose. He said no one player has helped him the most, but that just about everyone has helped in some way. "Everybody, I wouldn't say just one guy (has helped me)," Machado said. "Either with a little something or whatever, they've all helped and all given me advice. It's great. We're having fun, just going out there and playing the game."