Mancini finishes homestand in style
Ex-Tide hits inside-the-park HR in O’s win
BALTIMORE — The Camden Yards fans wanted to give Trey Mancini a nice sendoff — just in case.
Then the Baltimore slugger lifted a routine flyball to right, and it turned into a wild trip around the bases.
Mancini hit an inside-thepark home run in what may have been his final home appearance with the Orioles, and Baltimore blanked Tampa Bay 3-0 on Thursday.
“I’m kind of at a loss for words that that happened,” said Mancini, who spent most of the 2016 season with the Norfolk Tides before joining the Orioles for good.
Jordan Lyles pitched impressively into the sixth for the Orioles, who took three of four from Tampa Bay and went 4-3 on a crucial homestand against the Yankees and Rays. They have put together a winning record in consecutive months for the first time since 2016 and trail Tampa Bay by three games for the final AL wild card.
Lyles (7-8) and Mancini could be dealt by a team that has still seemed to be in rebuilding mode for much of this season, but with the Orioles now in contention, it’s not clear what they’ll do. Baltimore went on a 10-game winning streak prior to the All-Star break, then held its own on this homestand against two AL East rivals.
Mancini came up with one on and one out in the eighth and the Orioles up 1-0. He hit a fly to right, and Josh Lowe had trouble locating the ball. It hit the left side of his face and bounced away, and Mancini circled the bases.
Mancini, the designated hitter, took a curtain call before the top of the ninth to acknowledge the chanting crowd.
“I was actually down in the tunnel just putting up my helmet and shin guards and my elbow guard, and then Tyler Nevin came down and told me that they were calling my name,” Mancini said. “It meant a lot. Again, I have no idea what the next few days bring, but I wanted to make sure to soak in every moment today, just in case this was it.”
Mancini earned Comeback Player of the Year honors in the AL last year after being treated for stage 3 colon cancer.
“He is somebody that has gone through, obviously, what he went through,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’ve had great on-field, off-field conversations, and he’s opened my eyes to a lot of things, and I consider him a close friend.”
Former Old Dominion lefthander Ryan Yarbrough (0-6) allowed a run and four hits in six innings to take the loss. He struck out eight with no walks.
Late Wednesday
Randy Arozarena hit a two-run double off All-Star reliever Jorge López in the 10th inning, and Tamparecovered from another late lapse to win 6-4 and end a four-game losing streak.