Machado’s Baltimore return brings cheers, massive HR

BALTIMORE — Manny Machado turned his butterflies into a giant fly.

Previous to his Camden Yards homecoming on Tuesday, Machado admitted to feeling nervous, then went out and homered in opposition to his former group. In his second at-bat, main off the third inning, the ex-Oriole jumped throughout a first-pitch fastball from Baltimore starter Jimmy Yacabonis and despatched it screaming over the wall in left-center subject. The solo blast, which was Machado’s 100th profession homer at Camden Yards, traveled an estimated 455 toes.

Earlier than he struck out wanting within the high of the primary inning, Machado acquired a roaring, 40-second ovation from the gang of 21,644, almost double the common Tuesday evening draw at Camden Yards this season.

“It was superior,” he mentioned. “The followers, like at all times, did not disappoint. It was good to come back again house. I wasn’t anticipating something, however they did go above and past. It is actually particular — one thing that I will always remember.”

“He does not at all times get an amazing reception in different cities,” mentioned Padres supervisor Andy Inexperienced. “He will get robust receptions quite a lot of occasions. So to see a group that he considers house deal with him the way in which they did at the moment, it meant lots to me and I am positive it meant lots to him as effectively.”

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Machado adopted up his third-inning homer with an RBI single to left subject within the fourth. He completed the evening 2-for-Four with a stroll in San Diego’s Eight-Three win.

“I am a bit extra nervous at the moment to come back there,” he informed reporters pregame. “I am by no means nervous. I suppose it is like a bizarre nervous, in a method. It is simply completely different.”

It did not take lengthy for the butterflies to flee.

“As soon as I placed on my uniform, it went away,” Machado mentioned after the sport. “That is the great thing about being a baseball participant. Every little thing goes away and you may simply deal with taking part in baseball.”

“To do what he did at the moment, I do know it meant lots to him and his household,” mentioned Inexperienced. “It is enjoyable to look at a very good individual expertise a very good day.”

Machado was drafted by the Orioles in 2010, when he was the third general choice behind Bryce Harper and Jameson Taillon. He debuted with the Orioles on Aug. 9, 2012, and helped flip a moribund franchise right into a contender, as Baltimore made the postseason thrice throughout Machado’s time there.

A four-time All-Star who is thought simply as a lot for his defensive prowess as his slugging, the 26-year-old third baseman gained a pair of Gold Gloves with the Orioles. In 2013, he gained the Platinum Glove, an award given to one of the best defender in every league.

As a substitute of buying and selling Machado following the 2017 season, with a 12 months left on his contract, the Orioles opted to maintain him in hopes of constructing a return to the playoffs. However Baltimore shortly pale from the playoff image, resulting in rampant hypothesis that the O’s would ship Machado to a contender. On July 18, 2018, the day after he made his fourth All-Star look, Machado was dealt to the Dodgers, with whom he moved to his pure place of shortstop and was a part of a World Collection run.

Manny Machado acquired a standing ovation from the Baltimore crowd previous to his first at-bat Tuesday evening. Patrick Smith/Getty Photos

In February, Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with the Padres. On the time, it was the most important free-agent contract within the historical past of North American professional sports activities. On Tuesday, Machado admitted that leaving as a part of a commerce was the lesser of two evils.

“I did not make the selection. It was made for me. So it makes it a bit simpler,” Machado mentioned. “They only ship you away, and you are going elsewhere, throughout the nation, and attempting to satisfy new faces. It is arduous. However I do not assume any of the alternatives are simple. If you’re right here for therefore lengthy in a spot that you simply name house, you see the identical faces day-after-day, the identical individuals, it grows on you. To go away like that midway by means of the 12 months, it type of sucks.”

As for his return, moreover having steamed crabs for dinner (which he mentioned he would do after Tuesday’s sport), Machado mentioned he did not have any expectations.

“I do not anticipate something,” he mentioned earlier than Tuesday’s sport. “I anticipate to go on the market and play baseball and win and simply get pleasure from myself like I do day-after-day. You actually cannot anticipate something. No matter occurs, occurs. You simply take it and luxuriate in each second of it, like I do each time. I do know it is the primary time coming again. I will see quite a lot of followers that supported us seven years, that I noticed at third base, that I noticed within the on-deck circle, I noticed within the first row. These faces won’t ever be forgotten. These followers had been at all times there for us each single day. To see them once more, it’ll fairly enjoyable to see these faces once more.”

Though Tuesday’s crowd was comparatively massive by 2019 Orioles requirements, Machado noticed fewer faces than he usually did throughout his time in Appeal Metropolis. Baltimore owns baseball’s worst document, at 22-57, and ranks 28th out of 30 groups in attendance, with a mean of 16,758 followers per sport.

The Padres, led by Machado and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., are 39-40 and chasing the second wild-card spot within the Nationwide League.