Eddie Matz, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Manny Machado all smiles after helping Orioles win in first game back

BALTIMORE -- There’s no place like home. And on Friday night, Manny Machado was back home -- on the diamond at Camden Yards, helping the Baltimore Orioles win.

It was the first time Machado had played since serving a four-game suspension for charging the mound after being hit by a 99 mph fastball from Royals hurler Yordano Ventura earlier this month. It might as well have been four years.

"It felt like forever," said Machado, whose ban actually lasted five days because the Orioles had an off day on Thursday.

Judging by the crowd reaction at Camden Yards, Machado's layoff seemed just as long, if not longer, to the Orioles fans. When the 23-year-old slugger stepped to the plate in the bottom of the first, many in the electric, sellout crowd (Baltimore’s second of the season) rose to their feet and gave him a standing ovation. Then, as if on cue, Machado promptly launched one over the wall in left-center field. Unfortunately for the orange-clad crowd, Rays outfielder Desmond Jennings leapt up and robbed Machado of what appeared to be his 18th homer of the season.

Not to worry.

In the eighth inning, Machado actually did hit his 18th, an opposite-field shot that gave the Birds an insurance run. He also singled during Baltimore's pivotal, four-run, sixth-inning rally. In other words, despite the hiatus, Machado picked up right where he left off.

In seven games leading up to his suspension, Machado had gone 14-for-31 with two home runs to raise his average from .300 to .317. By the time he was done on Friday, it was up to .320, good enough for sixth in the American League.

After the win, Machado -- who’s pretty raucous around his teammates, but has grown to be a little more measured with the media -- was uncommonly chipper.

"I wasn’t sitting at home and just drinking some beer and not doing anything," he joked, standing in front of his locker with an ice pack wrapped around his right shoulder. Then he turned serious for a moment. "I was in here working, working out in the cage, doing what I needed to do to stay fresh. I knew it wasn’t a vacation at the end of the day. I had to come in here and help this team in whatever way I can, defense and offensively. It was good to be back out there, see some good pitches, and know that my swing is still there."

Eventually, after a handful of baseball-related questions, the conversation turned to the Manny Machado garden gnome that had been standing watch from the top shelf of Machado’s locker, peering down on the proceedings. It’s a giveaway that’s not scheduled for another couple of weeks, but apparently early delivery is a perk of being the model. On a normal night, the Q & A might not have meandered quite so far. But this was no normal night.

"It’s awesome," Machado said when asked about his mini-Manny. He flashed a wide grin, turned around and laid eyes on the object, then continued gushing. "I love it. It brought me some luck today, so hopefully it’s going to stay right there."

Clearly, after his big first game back, he was feeling it. So much so that when he was asked whose figurine was more fair -- his or the Buck Showalter edition from last year -- Machado didn’t hesitate to belittle the boss.

"I think mine’s better," he said. "I think I’m better looking. I thought it was going to be worse, and it came out pretty good."

Because, like the old saying goes, there’s no face like gnome.

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