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," Baltimore 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 host 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."
Machado is the ninth player in big league history to homer in any three consecutive innings.
He 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.
New York 3, Cleveland 2: The visiting Indians lost for the fifth time in seven games but maintained their two-game lead in the AL Central. Cleanup hitter Mike Napoli was ejected by plate umpire Lance Barrett after getting called out on strikes in the eighth inning. Napoli screamed and pointed in Barrett's face and might have nicked him with the bill of his helmet.
Texas 5, Houston 3 (11): Ian Desmond hit a tiebreaking single in the 11th inning and the visiting Rangers beat the Astros for the 11th time in 13 meetings this season. Desmond is tied for the major league lead with seven go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning or later this season.