BALTIMORE — Coby Mayo made a memorable impact by driving in his first major league RBI, which led to some unexpected drama on the field during Baltimore’s 4-2 victory against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. In the fourth inning, with Ryan O’Hearn on second and two outs, Baltimore’s designated hitter delivered a single to left field, prompting O’Hearn to score. Mayo, who had been called up from the minors earlier that day, rounded first base but got trapped in a rundown during his 22nd major league game, ultimately leading to confrontation.
While attempting to get to second, Mayo collided with Chicago’s second baseman Lenyn Sosa. As Mayo maneuvered with both arms, likely hoping for an interference call, he stumbled while escaping the rundown. First baseman Miguel Vargas tagged Mayo out, setting off a chain of events involving Mayo and Sosa. After handing over his helmet, Mayo initiated another contact by pushing Sosa’s shoulder, triggering players from both teams to rush onto the field. The situation involved minor scuffles before it was peacefully sorted.
Following the incident, Mayo explained his intention was not hostile. “I was trying to advance to scoring position for Heston (Kjerstad),” Mayo mentioned. “In the minors, you’re taught to stay in a rundown and I felt he was in the baseline, so I sought some contact. It wasn’t intended to escalate.”
Contrastingly, Sosa expressed displeasure over Mayo’s actions. “I felt it was a dirty move,” Sosa communicated through an interpreter. “I approached to question his motives and he responded by pushing me.”
White Sox manager, Will Venable, dismissed the altercation as minor. “Mayo was just trying to make a play; I’m sure Sosa didn’t appreciate being run into on purpose,” Venable commented.
Currently, Mayo stands as one of the Orioles’ promising prospects. Although he boasts just a .094 career batting average, his performance is closely watched. Mayo went 1 for 12 during four games earlier this season after hitting 4 for 41 across 17 games last year. With his Saturday outing, where he achieved 1 for 3, his season batting average reached .133.