Machado hits 3 homers in 3 innings, Orioles crush White Sox

CHICAGO (AP) - Manny Machado was 16 when he first met Alex Rodriguez and they quickly became close friends and offseason workout buddies. So Machado was watching intently Sunday morning as A-Rod announced he was ending his career.

"I'm sure Manny had some emotions," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, "and he certainly took them out on the field with him."

Machado became the second player in major league history to homer in the first, second and third innings, driving in a career-high seven runs in a 10-2 rout of James Shields and the Chicago White Sox.

"He's a mentor to me," Machado said of Rodriguez. "I've known him for a long time. To see him go up there and talk and leave it there, it's tough. It's a tough situation. I know as a personal friend he sleeps, breathes, eats baseball."

Machado hit a two-run homer in the first and a three-run shot in the second off Shields, who allowed four homers while getting four outs.

Machado hit another two-run homer in the third off Matt Albers. According to STATS, the only other player to do that was Carl Reynolds of the White Sox on July 2, 1930, at the Yankees.

"It's pretty awesome," Machado said. "I'm not going to lie."

Chris Davis followed Machado's second homer with his own and J.J. Hardy added a two-run shot before Shields (5-14) left to boos. The Orioles have hit a major league-best 168 homers this season.

Dylan Bundy (5-3) stuck out a career-high nine in six innings in Baltimore's fifth win in seven games. Ubaldo Jiminez pitched three perfect innings for his first career save.

One day after Machado couldn't come up with a popup that drove in the winning run for Chicago, the 24-year-old slugger became the first Baltimore player to homer three times since Davis on May 20, 2014, against Pittsburgh.

The All-Star third baseman pulled all three shots to left field on the warm, breezy day to make it 10-0 and give him 25 homers on the season. He's ninth player in big league history to homer in any three consecutive innings.

Machado grounded into a double play in the fifth, lined to center in the seventh and grounded to third in the ninth, failing to become the first Baltimore player to hit four homers in a game.

"I was trying real hard," he said.

The Orioles, who sat home run leader Mark Trumbo (31) for the first time this season, showed the depth of their power as they opened a one-game lead over Toronto in the AL East.

Most of the damage came against Shields, who had improved after a rough start with the White Sox following a June trade with San Diego. He was charged with eight runs and six hits with two walks and two hit batters, marking the sixth start the right-hander has allowed at least six runs.

"I was pretty much bad all around," Shields said. "I wasn't hitting my spots. I was leaving the ball over the plate, and they were capitalizing on it. You can't do that against this team."

Jose Abreu hit his third homer in four days for the White Sox, who have dropped eight of 11.

Bundy, a rookie reliever-turned-starter, allowed two runs and four hits.

"It's hard when you're in the dugout for 20 minutes or so and these guys are hitting homers," Bundy said, smiling. "I'll take that any day."

TRUMBO SITS

Trumbo, 0 for 9 with six strikeouts against Shields, had played in the first 109 games.

"I'm trying to get everybody a day (off) on this trip," Showalter said.

Davis, who homered for the first time since July 10, was back at cleanup after being dropped to sixth Saturday.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: RF Steve Pearce left in the fifth after aggravating a flexor injury on Todd Frazier's sacrifice fly. He received a cortisone shot and was wearing a brace on his left forearm after the game. Pearce was confident he'll be back in a day or two.

White Sox: CF Austin Jackson (knee surgery) visited teammates Saturday and is off crutches, but isn't close to beginning baseball work. . Manager Robin Ventura hopes 2B Brett Lawrie (hamstring) can begin a minor league rehab assignment during the upcoming nine-game trip. ... C Alex Avila (hamstring) is still feeling discomfort when he jogs.

UP NEXT

Orioles: The season-high 10-game trip moves to Oakland, with RHP Kevin Gausman (3-8, 4.08 ERA) starting Monday night against A's RHP Kendall Graveman (7-7, 4.46).

White Sox: LHP Chris Sale (14-5, 3.12) starts Tuesday against Royals RHP Edinson Volquez (8-10, 4.99) in Kansas City.