The Baltimore Orioles picked up their fifth win in their last seven games on Saturday night, knocking off the Chicago White Sox by a score of 4-2.
Rookie third baseman Coby Mayo played a significant role in his first game of his second stint with the big league club this season.
Mayo, who was called up on Saturday as the replacement for the injured Ryan Mountcastle, picked up a base knock in the fourth inning, a hit that also drove in Ryan O'Hearn for Mayo's first career RBI at the MLB level.
Normally, this would be a positive experience, but what happened at the tail end of the play has overshadowed the career milestone a bit.
After securing the RBI, Mayo got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, trying to extend the single into extra bases. The throw from the outfield got cut off before a play could be made at the plate, and as such, the White Sox were able to catch Mayo in a rundown.
The rookie knew he was caught, and as the tag was applied, he appeared to try and draw a fielder's interference call by running into Chicago second baseman Lenyn Sosa.
The attempt was unsuccessful, and as Mayo walked off the field, he shoved Sosa as the White Sox players surrounded him, which led to both benches clearing.
Mayo trying to get an obstruction call (wait for the view of the attempt at the end)...
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 31, 2025
Benches clear. pic.twitter.com/Hxfjrfakza
Both sides returned to their respective dugouts after some more pushing and shoving, and they continued on after all of the initial excitement wore down.
The play has naturally stirred all sorts of debate from fans online, but Baltimore's interim manager Tony Mansolino liked what he saw from his rookie.
“I was excited that he was aggressive on the bases," Mansolino said, per MLB.com's Paige Leckie. "The throw was low. They did a good job of cutting it. Coby got himself in a rundown right there. He probably thought that the play at the plate was going to be closer than it was. He's new to the big leagues, still learning the speed of the game."
At the end of the day, there's not much that can put a damper on a player hitting their first RBI, so Mayo probably isn't going to be losing sleep over a minor altercation like this.
It's just one of the many weird oddities that pop up in baseball from time to time.
All that matters is that the run counted, and Baltimore got the win, which isn't something they've been able to say much in 2025.
Now, they'll be looking to continue building on this newfound momentum moving into June.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!