masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgManny Machado is not one to over-analyze his own play but tonight he was asked if he could explain how he is hitting homers at a greater rate in the majors than he did last year at Double-A Bowie.

Last season there, Machado hit 11 homers in 109 Baysox games and now he has nine in 68 big league games after his three-hit, four RBI night led the Orioles to a 6-1 win over the Dodgers.

“You know I just think the more at-bats I get the more comfortable I feel at the plate,” Machado said. “It…Manny Machado is not one to over-analyze his own play but tonight he was asked if he could explain how he is hitting homers at a greater rate in the majors than he did last year at Double-A Bowie.

Last season there, Machado hit 11 homers in 109 Baysox games and now he has nine in 68 big league games after his three-hit, four RBI night led the Orioles to a 6-1 win over the Dodgers.

“You know I just think the more at-bats I get the more comfortable I feel at the plate,” Machado said. “It comes with experience, this game is all about experience.”

After giving the O’s the lead with an RBI double in the fifth, an inning later Machado hit a three-run homer to left off Josh Beckett to open the 6-1 lead and tie his career high with four RBIs.

“There I was just trying to get the run in,” Machado said. “A 2-2 count, two outs, just tried to put a good swing on it. In that situation, not trying to get too big on it, just trying to make contact.

“He just left it a little up and I just took advantage of that. It’s been awhile since I had a good game, had a couple of games with an o-fer. We had two good games today and now we try to come out tomorrow and get another one.”

Machado went 3-for-4 and both his homers this year have been three-run shots.

Meanwhile Wei-Yin Chen allowed just one run on three hits over six innings but he sounded not the least bit impressed with his performance which included four walks.

“My true feelings, I really think all the guys behind me helped me to get a win tonight,” Chen said through his interpreter. “I was lucky tonight. My stuff was terrible today, not really good. I was lucky to get a win tonight. You can tell, my velocity on my fastball is not there yet and I had too many walks.”

Meanwhile, Machado and Nate McLouth combined to go 5-for-7 and score four runs. McLouth said he’s doing the job he should be doing in the leadoff spot with his two-for-three night.

“That’s the plan, yeah and with the guys swinging the bats behind me well, I’ll do the easy work and get on base and let them drive me in,” McLouth said. “Manny squared some balls up tonight in big situations and had a huge night.”

McLouth was asked his reaction when he saw Chris Davis hit a 448-foot homer to center in the second inning, which was the third longest homer ever at Camden Yards by an Oriole.

“If it was somebody else it probably would have more unbelievable but this is Chris Davis and what he can do. It was majestic. That was one of the better ones I’ve seen,” McLouth said.