Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Manny Machado read the shift and turned it into a run-scoring adventure around the bases

As a baserunner, awareness is key. Any slight flinch from the defense can be all you need to make something happen on the base paths. Sometimes, that leads to a total series of wacky circumstances and, in the case of the Orioles in their 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday, an adventurous way to score a run. 
With Manny Machado on first base in the third inning, Chris Davis hit a grounder to the right side. Because the Jays had an infield shift on for Davis, Machado -- who had taken off for second -- noticed nobody at third, so he rounded the bag and high-tailed it for the open base. Catcher Russell Martin rushed over to third to take the throw, but the ball bounced loose. That set up an odd visual of Machado racing home while the ball bounded toward the plate, Martin pursuing it in vain.
As messy as that description was, the spectacle was even better: 

And all of it was the result of Machado noticing the opportunity and capitalizing.
As manager Buck Showalter said to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli after the game, this wasn't a freak occurrence, given the work the O's put in with their baserunning: 
"It is something we talk about all the time. That is one of the challenges of running shifts. You've got to be really proactive and think about [it]. ... They work on it. Sometimes the play, it's tough to cover all of them. It was a good heads-up play."
Always pay attention! 

BarberJordan
beephero
AP_702417634020
NYC