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Orioles' Coby Mayo criticized for baserunning tactic, and benches clear in Baltimore
By Jackson Thompson
Published May 31, 2025
The Baltimore Orioles' Coby Mayo took some heat Saturday during his team's 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, with two outs and a runner on second, Mayo hit a single to left field for his first career MLB RBI.
When Mayo attempted to advance to second base after the hit, the White Sox threw the ball back in and caught Mayo in a rundown between first and second base.
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Lenyn Sosa (50) of the Chicago White Sox pushes Coby Mayo (16) of the Orioles after getting pushed in a rundown in the fourth inning that led to the benches clearing at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Then Mayo appeared to try and draw interference when he ran out of the baseline to avoid the tag and ran into White Sox infielder Lenyn Sosa. Mayo fell to the ground on his back on the infield grass and was tagged out.
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The Orioles mascot performs before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards June 14, 2024, in Baltimore. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
Mayo then exchanged words with White Sox infielders Miguel Vargas and Sosa, and umpires stood near them as the conversation intensified. Eventually, Mayo retrieved his helmet and returned to the O’s dugout on the first-base line, but he reached out his right hand and shoved Sosa in the chest on the way. Rojas then shoved Mayo from behind.
The shoving prompted both benches and bullpens to clear, and the teams converged in the middle of the field. Umpires eventually restored order before anything got physical, and both teams retreated.
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Coby Mayo, right, of the Orioles pushes Lenyn Sosa of the Chicago White Sox in a rundown in the fourth inning that led to a bench-clearing incident at Oriole Park at Camden Yards May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Mayo was criticized for the stunt on social media, with many calling his actions "bush league."
"Obviously, just trying to get to second base and trying to get into scoring position for Heston [Kjerstad]. [They cut] it off and got into a rundown. Obviously, just being told in the minor leagues to try to stay in a rundown, and I thought he was in the baseline, and [I was] trying to get some contact. Didn’t mean for it to escalate. I wasn’t trying to do that, it just did," Mayo told reporters.
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https://www.foxnews.com/sports/mlb-player-criticized-unusual-baserunning-tactic-causing-benches-clear