Quick strike: Machado drills 17th HR of season

BALTIMORE -- Shortstop Manny Machado provided the Orioles' lone run with a first-inning home run, his 17th of the season, in Friday night's 4-1 loss to the Yankees at Oriole Park.
Machado hit an 0-1 pitch from Yankees right-hander Sonny Gray to right field to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Machado is batting .329, with 46 RBIs -- two behind J.D. Martinez for the Major League lead. Martinez also leads the Majors with 19 homers.
"Manny's been locked in since the first day of spring," manager Buck Showalter said. "He seems a lot more at ease with all the plays now at shortstop. He has settled in there nicely, too. I don't know if you could ask anybody to play at that level all year, but sometimes it makes you think he might."
Losing pitcher Andrew Cashner is in his first season watching Machado up close.
"He's a star player," Cashner said. "That's what star players do. It's pretty fun to watch him every night. It's pretty crazy how good he is."
Seven of Machado's home runs this season have been hit in the first inning.