Sans batting gloves, Machado switches it up

ARLINGTON -- Orioles third baseman Manny Machado ditched his batting gloves for Saturday night's 7-4 win over the Rangers for no particular reason, with the 21-year-old simply in the mood to do something different.

"Just thought I'd change it up," Machado said of the move. "I did it in the Minor Leagues and when I was younger. It's something that just came out of nowhere, really."

Machado went 2-for-5 with an RBI, reaching base three times as the O's clinched a series victory over their hosts.

Asked Sunday if he'd stick with the trend or not, Machado -- who hadn't hit without batting gloves in a big league game until Saturday -- said it would be a "game-time decision" after he took batting practice with his gloves.

Machado went with his gloves for the first two at-bats Sunday, then removed them for his third at-bat and notched an RBI single. He also drew a walk without the gloves in the seventh.