White Sox buried by Machado, Orioles
“He just single-handedly put us in a hole.”
That was White Sox manager Robin Ventura after Sunday afternoon's 10-2 loss to the Orioles at U.S. Cellular Field.
Clarifying his remark, Ventura said he was talking about Manny Machado, Baltimore's slugging third baseman.
“You've got a guy that was extremely hot today and is one of the best players in the game,” Ventura said.
Ventura's initial remark could have also been pinned on starting pitcher James Shields, who put the White Sox in a quick hole and was as awful as his pitching line suggests.
Lasting just 1⅓ innings, Shields was tagged for 8 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. The right-hander gave up 4 homers in his abbreviated outing, including a pair by Machado.
“I was pretty much bad all-around,” Shields said. “I wasn't in my spots. I was leaving the ball out over the plate and they were capitalizing. You can't do that to this team, they're too good of a team and I've got to do a better job today overall. There's no excuse, no excuse whatsoever for that today.”
Running first in the AL East, the Orioles lead the majors with 168 home runs.
Machado hit 3 and piled up 7 RBI in Sunday's win over the White Sox, and he did his damage early.
In the first inning, Machado hit a 2-run homer off Shields.
In the second, he hit a 3-run homer off Shields.
In the third inning, Machado connected again, a 2-run homer off White Sox reliever Matt Albers.
Machado is just the second player in major-league history to homer in the first, second and third innings. White Sox outfielder Carl Reynolds was the first to accomplish the feat, on July 2, 1930.
“It's awesome,” Machado said. “It's tough to do. First off, you don't get at-bats every inning. It's pretty awesome. It's exciting. I've been trying to find my swing. This whole series I've been kind of squaring up some balls, which is fun.
“Today, they finally went out the ballpark. The ball was going out a little bit, so that helped. It was an overall great day.”
Machado was the first player to hit 3 homers in a game at the Cell since Paul Konerko did it against the Indians on July 7, 2009.
Current Sox designated hitter Justin Morneau was the last visiting player to hit 3 home runs in a game at the Cell. With the Twins, Morneau went deep three times on July 6, 2007.
Machado grounded into a double play in the fifth inning, lined out to center fielder J.B. Shuck in the seventh and grounded out to third baseman Todd Frazier in the ninth.
“I was trying,” Machado said when asked about hitting 4 home runs in Sunday's blowout win. “I was trying real hard.”
Machado got his big day going in the first inning, hitting the first pitch he saw from Shields over the center-field fence.
“I tried to go in off the plate, to be honest with you, and left it right over the middle,” Shields said. “You can't do that to a hitter like that. Machado's a good hitter, he's one of the best in the game and he's going to put a swing on it.”