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 The Baltimore third baseman hit a home run, giving the Orioles a
7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night at Camden
Yards.
The blast was the first walk-off home run of Machado's career -- and
he enjoyed it. Machado lined a 1-2 pitch from Cory Rasmus (2-1) into
the left field seats.
"Once I hit it, I knew it was out," Machado said. "At that point, it
was just excitement running through my body. I got chills rounding
the bases."
He said he was mainly trying to make contact after Rasmus jumped
ahead of him in the count, but the Angels pitcher left a curve up a
little, and Machado nailed it.
"I didn't think it was a terrible pitch, but obviously not down
enough," Rasmus said. "He's a good hitter and made me pay. That's
how it goes."
Machado also hit an RBI double earlier in the game to help the
Orioles (59-46) keep their 2 1/2-game lead over the Toronto Blue
Jays in the American League East. Baltimore improved to 12-3 in
extra-inning games this season.
 Orioles manager Buck Showalter liked how his team got help from so
many places in this game, especially the bullpen. Six relief
pitchers combined to hold the Angels (63-42) to one run on five hits
over seven innings.
Right-hander Ryan Webb (3-1) got the win after escaping a two-out
jam in the top of the 12th. Angels shortstop Erick Aybar came up
with runners on second and third and lined a shot right at first
baseman Steve Pearce to end the inning, opening the door for
Machado's heroics.
"Somebody's got to step up," Showalter said. "I think it's a good
mentality that you have to have because there's so many challenges
the schedule presents and, more importantly, the competition
presents."
Earlier in the evening, starters Chris Tillman and Jered Weaver
matched up for the second time in a week, but neither pitched well
after both threw strong games in Anaheim.
Weaver gave up six runs on seven hits and four walks in five innings
Tuesday. He allowed two homers, a solo shot to center fielder Adam
Jones in the first and a three-run blast from right fielder Nick
Markakis in the fourth.
"I don't think (Weaver) ever got settled in and felt good about
repeating pitches," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That was one
of the few games he was really out of sorts and struggled."
Tillman gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits in five innings
and made a throwing error that let in a run. The right-hander also
never really settled in, giving up runs in four of his five innings.
"I felt good physically, made some good pitches, but not consistent
enough," Tillman said. "They're too good of a team to make mistakes
against, and they put some good swings on some good pitches."
The game swung back and forth in the early innings. Designated
hitter Josh Hamilton's RBI groundout gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in
the top of the first.
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Jones tied it with a two-out solo homer off Weaver in the bottom of the
inning, and shortstop J.J. Hardy made it 2-1 with an RBI single moments
later.
The Angels bounced back with two runs in the top of the second, the first
scoring on a Tillman throwing error when the Baltimore pitcher tried to
get second baseman Howie Kendrick at the plate on third baseman David
Freese's grounder back to the box. The other run came in on right
fielder Kole Calhoun's RBI double.
Baltimore tied it on Machado's RBI double in the second.
The Angels took a 4-3 lead when catcher Hank Conger hit a sacrifice fly
in the top of the fourth. Markakis then lined a three-run homer off the
right field foul pole in the bottom of that inning to put the Orioles on
top 6-4.
Hamilton hit a solo homer off Tillman in the fifth to make it 6-5, and
the Angels tied it in the seventh on Hamilton's RBI infield single.
The Angels had runners on first and third with two outs when Hamilton
grounded to Hardy, who started to flip to second for the inning-ending
forceout but changed his mind and then tried to throw to first instead.
Hamilton hustled down the line and beat the throw as the tying run
scored.
Hamilton finished 3-for-6 with three RBIs. First baseman Albert Pujols
added three hits for Los Angeles. Designated hitter Delmon Young went
3-for-5 for Baltimore.
NOTES: The Orioles sent 1B Chris Davis home before the game due to an
illness. Manager Buck Showalter said Davis was battling nausea and a
condition that could be contagious. Steve Pearce started at first and
went 0-for-4 with a walk. ... Baltimore GM Dan Duquette said that no
deals are about to happen, but he would like to increase the club's
pitching depth. ... Angels manager Mike Scioscia said LHP C.J. Wilson,
on the disabled list due to an ankle sprain, felt good after throwing 5
1/3 innings on rehab Monday with Double-A Arkansas. Wilson is expected
to return at some point during the current road trip.
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