Orioles Pull Off An 11-3 Win Over Athletics On Mother's Day
BALTIMORE -- As the boisterous crowd at Camden Yards chanted his name, Manny Machado climbed to the top of the Baltimore Orioles' dugout steps and tipped his cap for a curtain call.
The moment was even more special for the All-Star third baseman with his mother watching from the stands.
Machado hit two of Baltimore's six home runs, including a grand slam, as the Orioles took the three-game series against the Oakland Athletics with a 11-3 victory Sunday.
"It's a great day," Machado said. "I was able to go out there, put some great swings and hit some homers."
Jonathan Schoop and Pedro Alvarez hit back-to-back home runs in the second. Schoop went 3-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 11 games, one shy of his career high, while the homer by Alvarez reached Eutaw Street.
Mark Trumbo launched a two-run shot in the third. Four of Baltimore's homers came off Oakland starter Kendall Graveman (1-4), who lasted just 2 2/3 innings. Joey Rickard got a solo shot off A's reliever Ryan Dull in the fourth.
Machado tied Trumbo for the team lead with nine homers and also matched a career-high with six RBIs. It was the most homers the A's allowed since 1994.
"He's in a good place," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said about Machado. "I think he's come to grips with the respect that they have for him. It's no secret and he's kind of using it in his favor."
Oakland won the first game of a doubleheader Saturday before dropping the next two. The A's are 2-7 over its past nine games on the road.
Josh Reddick tied Oakland's franchise record with eight straight hits.
"Look at all the players that have played in this uniform," Reddick said. "Hall of farmers that have been there. To be up there on the top is a really great honor."
Chris Tillman (4-1) recovered from a shaky start to go 6 1/3 innings for Baltimore. He allowed three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts, including four of the final five batters he faced.
Reddick got his sixth straight hit with an RBI single in the first. A Baltimore chop by Danny Valencia and double by Yonder Alonso off Tillman later that inning provided a 3-0 lead.
Entering the game, Tillman had allowed a total of three runs over his past three starts (19 2/3 innings). Machado gave him a boost with a two-run shot in the first.
The homers by Alvarez and Schoop then gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead before Trumbo hit another two-run shot in the third. Graveman allowed six runs on five hits on 58 pitches.
"I think that's kind of what we've talked about all along," Trumbo said. "We have power up and down the lineup."
Rickard provided the 7-3 lead with his third home run of the season in the fourth before Machado hit the grand slam in the eighth off J.B. Wendelken, who was promoted from Triple-A Nashville prior to the game.
Things unraveled so badly that Oakland manager Bob Melvin was forced to use catcher Josh Phegley as a reliever in the eighth. Phegley retired both batters he faced, including a strikeout against out Adam Jones.
"It brings a little levity to what was a tough game at that point in time," Melvin said. "I've seen that several times where you're getting beat up pretty good and it lightens the mood. And it did. You just hope he doesn't hurt himself trying to compete too hard."