It's only been two games, but Manny Machado doesn't look like a kid who was rushed to the majors.
Machado hit his second home run tonight, a three-run shot deep into the left field seats in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Orioles a 7-1 lead.
Machado is the youngest Orioles player to hit a home run since Jim Palmer, who was 19, on May 16, 1965. He's now the youngest ever to hit multiple home runs in the same game. Boog Powell collected two on May 2, 1962 against the Twins when he was 20 years, 250 days.
Machado is the 12th-youngest player in the majors since 1918 to have a multi-home run game. The Angels' Mike Trout is the most recent on Aug. 30, 2011. Trout was 20 years, 23 days. Machado is 20 years, 35 days.
Machado received a curtain call while the Royals made a pitching change. The place absolutely erupted, and Machado climbed to the top step of the dugout and waved.
The announced crowd is 17,277, but it sure seems like more judging by the volume.
Wilson Betemit was hit by a pitch with two outs and Nate McLouth doubled before Machado stepped to the plate and carved out his place in Orioles history.
I hear the Eddie Murray statue being unveiled tomorrow will show him with his arm draped around Machado.
The night gets a little crazier when you consider that the same fan, 15-year-old Adam Corder, caught both home runs balls from his seat in section 78, row 14.
Corder, a Millersville native who currently lives in United Arab Emirates, is attending the game with his brother and two friends.
Corder said a fan offered him $2,000 for one of the balls. He's going to give the first one to Machado in exchange for four signed baseballs and a signed bat, but he intends to hold onto the second.
"This is my first ball. My first two," said Corder, whose father used to work here in the First Aid Station. "It was just luck."
The second ball rolled to Corder, who picked it up in disbelief.
"I couldn't even stand," he said. "My feet were shaking. I had to sit down for a while."
Update: Miguel Gonzalez allowed one run and six hits in a career-high eight innings. He walked one, struck out five and served up one home run.
Gonzalez threw 103 pitches, 68 for strikes.
In his last two starts, Gonzalez has allowed one run and eight hits in 15 innings.
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