BALTIMORE (AP) — Ramón Laureano came within a few feet of an extraordinarily rare accomplishment.
Laureano's eighth-inning drive was caught in front of the wall. Had it gone a bit farther, it would have been his third homer — after beginning the game on the bench. Only one player since at least 1906 has homered three times in a game without starting: Cincinnati's Art Shamsky against Pittsburgh on Aug. 12, 1966.
Laureano settled for two, and that was enough to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 9-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. Laureano was the first Orioles player to come off the bench and hit two homers since Trey Mancini in 2017.
“Always stay ready,” Laureano said. “Just wait for the chance, and that's it.”
Laureano entered in the top of the third, replacing left fielder Heston Kjerstad, who had been hit by a pitch around the elbow.
Laureano's two-run drive in the third gave the Orioles a 5-3 lead, and he added a solo shot in the seventh to make it 6-4. His eighth-inning flyout went 390 feet to center field according to Statcast, but it would not have been a homer in any of the 30 ballparks.
“It was a cool day for sure,” he said.
The Orioles signed Laureano in February, and he's in the middle of a bit of a logjam in the outfield. He's put up better numbers against lefties in his career, and he's started only five games this season so far.
His homers Saturday came against two righties, Hunter Greene and Carson Spiers. Even after his big day Saturday, Laureano is just 4 for 21 at the plate this year.
“Ramon stays ready. He's had a tough time getting opportunities so far this year,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I've talked to him about it. I'm going to try to play him as much as I possibly can when I can get him in there. But he's a pro.”
In addition to his work at the plate, Laureano made a leaping catch in left to end the game with two on in the ninth.
“Definitely the player of the game,” Hyde said.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Noah Trister, The Associated Press
