More on Machado in Frederick, updating Sisco and other notes

FREDERICK, Md. - So Manny Machado took a big step toward returning to the Orioles, while Chris Davis left last night's game after four innings with a strained left oblique.

Just another Friday night with the Baltimore Orioles.

If you would have seen the amount of rain that fell on Harry Grove Stadium late yesterday afternoon, you would have been surprised, maybe shocked, they were able to play baseball there by 8 p.m. The Keys staff did an amazing job getting that field ready to play and thousands of fans that wanted to see Machado saw a pretty good show.

Serving as the designated hitter, he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, and all three balls were hit hard. He went with the pitch twice, driving the ball to right and he hit a real blast to center in the fifth inning that looked like a homer off the bat.

Machado is expected to play third base this afternoon when the Keys host the Carolina Mudcats at 2 p.m.

Is there anything specific Machado needs to do to test his left knee during his rehab games?

"Everything, whatever comes my way," he said. "I can't tell the other team to bunt the ball for me or hit the ball in the hole. Just play the game, play it 110 percent like I'm up there with the (big league) team. Just get my at-bats in and what I need from everything."

His knee is doing real well, and he said that in separate interviews before and after he came out of last night's game.

"It's been great, knock on wood. My knee feels fine, everything is good so far," Machado said. "Just a matter of getting out there and performing every day at an elite level.

"From day one of surgery to now, it's been a drastic change. The strength was always there (in the knee post-surgery). We had a great rehab down in Miami and continued that in Sarasota.

"But I'm glad the rehab is over with. It's been too long. But you can't walk up the mountain in one day. I'm excited to be out here and playing in some games finally."

Machado dislocated his left knee while with Single-A Delmarva early in the 2011 season and had surgery this past October. Now that the knee is repaired, hopefully any chance of a future dislocation is very minimal.

"Just going to help me in the long run," he said. "Surgery got rid of that. I'm healthy now and just a matter of staying strong with it, strengthening it and keeping it in place."

The Keys lost 5-3 Friday night in front of 6,403 to fall to 9-12, and have won just two of 10 home games. Maybe Manny will drive a few more baseballs today and the fans will get to see him play third base, as well.

More notes on the Keys:

* Center fielder Glynn Davis has gone hitless just four times this season, but it's happened in back-to-back games. Davis, who was batting .477 in his first 10 games, is now third in the Carolina League in hitting at .363. The 22-year-old right-handed batter is tied for first in the league in hits and is tied for fourth in runs scored.

* Pitcher Parker Bridwell took the loss last night. He went six innings and gave up eight hits and five runs with two walks and five strikeouts. The Orioles' No. 19 prospect according to Baseball America is 0-3 with an ERA of 7.56 on the season. Bridwell has allowed four runs or more in four of his five starts.

* Frederick third baseman Jason Esposito, the club's second-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt in 2011, now has a 10-game hitting streak. He went 1-for-5 with an RBI double last night. During his streak, he is 12-for-37 with two doubles, a triple, a homer and two RBIs to raise his average to .260. He's also played error-free ball at third for the Keys.

* Left-hander Matt Taylor makes the start for Frederick this afternoon at 2 p.m. Taylor is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.14 over four starts. In 21 innings, he has actually walked more batters than he has struck out (11 to eight). But Taylor, drafted in round five by the O's in 2011, ranks ninth in the league in ERA.

Sisco to DL, big night for Alvarez: Yesterday, Single-A Delmarva put catcher Chance Sisco on the disabled list. The Orioles' second-round pick last June and No. 10-rated prospect has a pulled oblique, but it's not considered serious.

Over 13 games with the Shorebirds, Sisco is batting .245 with three doubles, no homers, five RBIs and a .608 OPS. Monday night he had four hits against Savannah.

Double-A Bowie center fielder Dariel Alvarez went 5-for-6 last night as the Baysox scored a season-high 14 runs on 23 hits in a series-opening 14-2 win in Harrisburg. Alvarez had two doubles and scored four runs. Over his last two games, he is 7-for-10 with three doubles.

In 19 games on the year, the Cuban outfielder is batting .350 with 10 doubles, three homers, 16 RBIs, a .588 slugging percentage and .949 OPS. He ranks first in the Eastern League in doubles and extra-base hits, and tied for second in RBIs and total bases.