It seemed like the day already had been all about Manny Machado — the buzz about trade rumors and such — so it only stood to reason the Orioles star would figure prominently in Monday night’s game at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Machado hit his 15th home run in the fourth inning for the game’s first run and, curiously, Hector Santiago intentionally walked him in the sixth with one out and no men on after the Sox starter had given up a home run to Adam Jones.

Mark Trumbo homered in the fifth inning for the Orioles’ second run.

The home runs held up for a 3-2 Orioles victory though the Sox made it exciting in the ninth inning when they loaded the bases on two walks and a single before Trayce Thompson struck out to end the game.

The Sox threatened to make it a fourth straight outing with three earned runs for Orioles starter Andrew Cashner, but may have done themselves in with poor baserunning decisions. Adam Engel tried to leg out a double in the fifth and was called out at second base on a close play. That hurt because Yoan Moncada then walked.

Yolmer Sanchez dropped a single to shallow center field and Jose Abreu doubled deep to left to score Moncada, but Sanchez tested left fielder Trey Mancini’s arm and paid for it when Mancini fired to Machado — there’s that name again — and the star shortstop gunned it home. Catcher Andrew Susac had a comfortable cushion to tag out Sanchez.

The Sox had another opportunity when Daniel Palka hit a ground-rule double leading off the sixth but could score only once. When Matt Davidson singled to center, Palka rounded third before thinking better of trying for home. Leury Garcia’s ground-rule double to center then scored Palka and chased Cashner. But the Sox couldn’t cash in further as reliever Mychal Givens got Welington Castillo to pop out and then struck out Tim Anderson and Adam Engel.

Santiago gave up the three home runs but that was the only damage on five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. Cashner gave up two runs on eight hits and struck out four in five innings.

With both teams’ pitching staffs having problems, there figured to be some success at the plate. The Orioles capitalized with the three homers, but the Sox had three players with two hits each: Abreu, Davidson and Garcia.

There was one fielding play of note when second baseman Moncada leaped and reached for a highlight reel grab of Chris Davis’ sharp liner in the fifth.

The Sox avoided an injury when Abreu slid on his left knee in foul territory chasing a fly and then ran gingerly back to first base.