Much of the trade speculation involving the Baltimore Orioles and Manny Machado has him going to the Chicago Cubs. The team on the north side of Chicago is certainly interested, but as with anything else it boils down to the price. However Machado certainly made a name for himself in the Windy City last night with a tape measure home run.
Andrew Cashner made it through the necessary number of innings to qualify for the win last night before growing tired. Cashner’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K. The game was a scoreless draw for almost four innings before the O’s got on the board with the aforementioned homer off the bat of Machado. And this was a long home run, folks. In a pitcher’s park at that.
The question is whether or not doing that in the Cubs’ backyard will help to convince them. My personal prediction is that Machado ends up on the Cubs, and potentially this week at that. The question is whether or not they’re willing to give the Orioles the haul they want for him. Or if the Orioles are willing to budge just a little on said haul.
Mark Trumbo would also smack a solo homer one inning later in the fifth to give the O’s a 2-0 lead. However Chicago would also get on the board that inning on an Abreu RBI-double. The Birds caught a break that inning however, as Chicago opted to send the trail runner in an attempt to tie the score. And Mancini’s throw nailed the runner at home plate, preserving the lead and ending the inning.
But the Orioles got their two-run lead back in the sixth on a solo home run by Adam Jones. However Cashner appeared gassed at that point, putting a few runners on in the last of the sixth. Garcia’s RBI-double cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2, and on came Mychal Givens in relief – with two on and nobody out. And Givens pitched out of it, preserving the Orioles’ lead. That almost single-handedly won the game for the O’s.
After the game Adam Jones commented on how all facets of the team came together to win this game (quote courtesy of Jeff Arnold, mlb.com):
Today was a total team win … When you use every facet of your team, you generally do well. So it was good to see.
The series continues tonight in Chicago Kevin Gausman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s James Shields. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.
Birdland Crush 
Nooooo! Not Manny!
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Probably. But the player(s) they’ll get for him will be good players that will make the team better in the future – and maybe even now. Thanks for reading!
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