'Pumped' Mancini lifts emotional HR in win

BALTIMORE -- Shortly before the Orioles’ come-from-behind 8-7 walk-off win over the Marlins on Wednesday night at Oriole Park, Trey Mancini huddled behind home plate with Sonsy Gaba, mother of the late Mo Gaba. Sonsy was an honored guest, invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on the one-year anniversary of her son’s death. Mancini was a natural fit to catch, having grown close with Mo over the years as he -- and eventually, they both -- battled cancer.

The reunion was what made what Mancini did an hour or so later so timely, so special, some might say so supernatural. Homering in his second at bat against Marlins starter Jordan Holloway, Mancini left the dugout to find Gaba to blow her a kiss after rounding the bases. His third home run in four games and 19th overall also counted as one of the more emotional in a season already full of such swings.

“I thought about Mo a lot, all day,” Mancini said. “It was so great to see Sonsy, and she said to play hard for Mo and to hit one for him. It was a really cool moment. I definitely felt him with me.”

“Trey had a huge smile on his face after the homer,” O’s manager Brandon Hyde said. “I’d never seen him try to get somebody’s attention in the crowd. He was really pumped up. Then I realized who he was waving to.”

Reflecting on it further, Hyde called it “a huge moment, a big moment, a special feeling for” his star slugger. Mancini was nearly reduced to tears postgame talking about his friendship with Gaba, who battled four cancer diagnoses before he died at age 14 last summer. The Orioles inducted Gaba into their Hall of Fame on the day of his death, and Mancini found the resolve during his own chemotherapy treatments -- and a global pandemic -- to attend his memorial service soon after.

“I can’t believe it’s been a year since we lost him,” Mancini said. “His energy, his happiness and the happiness he brought to others, it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long.”

In that way, Mancini’s performance Wednesday stood as a tribute. It was not, however, enough to pull the Orioles to victory on its own. Hamstrung by Jorge López's shortest start of the season, Baltimore battled back against Holloway to tie the game at 5 in the third, then again at 7 against old friend Richard Bleier in the eighth. The O's finally broke through when Don Mattingly intentionally walked the bases loaded in the ninth, and Steven Okert walked Ryan McKenna to force the winning run home. The result was the Orioles’ second walk-off victory of the week.

“It was a really good night for us,” Mancini said.

Along the way, they faced a string of former O's relievers, not only Bleier but also David Hess, Zach Pop and Preston Guilmet as part of the six-reliever parade Miami trotted out. Hyde called upon five himself, with trade candidate Tanner Scott securing two key outs in the top of the ninth to earn his fourth win.

Scott remains one of the most likely players to be dealt by the Orioles before Friday’s 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, ranking high with Paul Fry on a list that also includes Mancini among the club’s trade candidates. Moving Mancini would be a more difficult task logistically and emotionally, and it remains unclear if the O's will be compelled to by Friday afternoon.

“I don’t think this was my last game here,” Mancini said. “I haven’t had any anxiousness this week. I’ve tried to be better about that, because it can be a lot on your mind and it’s something you don’t control.”

What is clear is that Mancini is heating up again at the plate, his production not at all impeded by his inspiring performance in the Home Run Derby on July 12. He’s now hit safely in 10 of 11 games since the All-Star break and 10 straight, batting .390 (16-for-41) with eight extra-base hits in that span. Mancini's efforts Wednesday also underscored the emotional element that would be caked into any deal involving him, as he has for years stated publicly his preference to see the Orioles’ rebuild through. His ties in Baltimore now run deep. Mancini's presence in the clubhouse and off the field has grown outsized, as his own personal story expands its reach beyond the city’s limits.

And yet, with Baltimore headed to Detroit through the Deadline, there is a chance Mancini played his final home game at Camden Yards on Wednesday night. There is greater chance that he did not, as well. But to see the rebuild through in full, the Orioles will need to rebuff offers this week and sign Mancini to an extension -- he’s third-year arbitration-eligible this winter and under club control through 2022 -- which they’ve fallen short of committing publicly to doing. That contractual status also boosts Mancini’s value on the trade market, which saw high-end sluggers Joey Gallo and Starling Marte reportedly dealt Wednesday.

“I expect to stay here and I hope to,” Mancini said. “At the same time, I understand there is a bigger picture than just myself. I’m honored and humbled either way.”