Greg Fiume/Getty ImagesManny Machado hit two homers in his second career MLB game.Manny was just being Manny, but at a younger age than Manny.
Does that make sense?
In just his second Major League game, Baltimore Orioles rookie Manny Machado went deep not once but twice.
Youngest Player with Multi-HR Game
Within First 2 MLB games
Machado is the youngest player in Major League history with a multi-homer game within his first two career games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The previous youngest player to do so was 21-year-old Manny Ramirez for the Indians in 1993.
At 20 years and 35 days old, Machado is also the youngest Orioles player with a multi-homer game. Elias tells us the previous youngest was Boog Powell in 1962 at the age of 20 years, 258 days.
Both of Machado's home runs came on two-strike breaking balls, the first a slider and the second a curveball.
Machado is just the fourth player this season to have a multi-HR game in which both of the home runs came off two-strike breaking balls. All four of Machado's hits so far have come both with two strikes and against breaking balls. He's seen more breaking balls than fastballs in his first two games.
Machado, who turned 20 on July 6, is the youngest Orioles player to hit a home run since 19-year-old future Hall-of-Famer Jim Palmer homered against the Yankees on May 16, 1965.
Adding in his triple from his first game, Elias says Machado is the first player in modern baseball history (since 1900) with two home runs and a triple through his first two career games.
MAHOLM SHUTS OUT METS
MaholmPaul Maholm threw his fourth career shutout and first of the season. He did it in just 95 pitches, the fewest by a Braves pitcher in a shutout since Greg Maddux in 2000. How did he do it?
• Despite facing 29 hitters, tied for his second-most this season, only six of those batters had a plate appearance of more than four pitches, his third-fewest this season. Pitcher Matt Harvey, at seven pitches, had the longest at-bat of the game.
• Harvey was the lone hitter to see a three-ball count against Maholm. It's Maholm's first start this season in which he went to only one three-ball count (min. 10 batters faced).
• Maholm induced 15 ground-ball outs, including two double plays, tied for his most in the last four seasons. Twelve of the 15 ground-ball outs came via his fastball or slider.
BUCHHOLZ GOES THE DISTANCE
BuchholzClay Buchholz threw his second complete game of the season and his first on the road since June 2010. How did he do it?
• Buchholz put hitters away. He took 12 hitters to a two-strike count and none of them would reach via hit or walk (one reached on an error). It's Buchholz's first start this season in which he didn't allow a hit or walk with two strikes.
• Buchholz threw just 23 percent fastballs (2/4-seam) with two strikes, his fewest percentage in a start since September 2009. His six strikeouts came on four different pitch types (one fastball, two changeups, two cutters and one splitter).