BALTIMORE (AP) — Ramón Laureano came within a few feet of an extraordinarily rare accomplishment.
Laureano's eighth-inning drive was caught in front of the wall. Had it gone a bit farther, it would have been his third homer — after beginning the game on the bench. Only one player since at least 1906 has homered three times in a game without starting: Cincinnati's Art Shamsky against Pittsburgh on Aug. 12, 1966.
Laureano settled for two, and that was enough to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 9-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. Laureano was the first Orioles player to come off the bench and hit two homers since Trey Mancini in 2017.
“Always stay ready,” Laureano said. “Just wait for the chance, and that's it.”
Laureano entered in the top of the third, replacing left fielder Heston Kjerstad, who had been hit by a pitch around the elbow.
Laureano's two-run drive in the third gave the Orioles a 5-3 lead, and he added a solo shot in the seventh to make it 6-4. His eighth-inning flyout went 390 feet to center field according to Statcast, but it would not have been a homer in any of the 30 ballparks.
“It was a cool day for sure,” he said.
The Orioles signed Laureano in February, and he's in the middle of a bit of a logjam in the outfield. He's put up better numbers against lefties in his career, and he's started only five games this season so far.
His homers Saturday came against two righties, Hunter Greene and Carson Spiers. Even after his big day Saturday, Laureano is just 4 for 21 at the plate this year.
“Ramon stays ready. He's had a tough time getting opportunities so far this year,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I've talked to him about it. I'm going to try to play him as much as I possibly can when I can get him in there. But he's a pro.”
In addition to his work at the plate, Laureano made a leaping catch in left to end the game with two on in the ninth.
“Definitely the player of the game,” Hyde said.
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Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, left, leaps to high five Ramon Laureano, right, after the final out in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Alyssa Howell)
Baltimore Orioles' Ramon Laureano hits a home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Alyssa Howell)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The driver of a car that barreled through a building used for a popular after-school camp in central Illinois, killing three children and a teenager, was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol and may have had a medical emergency, police said Thursday.
No decisions have been made on whether to file charges against the 44-year-old driver, Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly said at a news conference. The driver is not in custody, Kelly said.
Evidence that she may have had a medical emergency was “not conclusive” and the investigation is ongoing, Kelly said.
The car went off the road Monday, crossing a field and smashing into the side of the building in Chatham used by Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors, also known as YNOT. It traveled through the building, striking people before exiting the other side.
Six other children were hospitalized. Four of them remained hospitalized, including one in critical condition, a state police spokesperson said after Thursday's news conference.
Those killed were Rylee Britton, 18, of Springfield, Ainsley Johnson, 8, Kathryn Corley, 7, and Alma Buhnerkempe, 7. All of the children were from Chatham, a community of about 15,000 outside the Illinois capital of Springfield.
The driver was not injured but was taken to a hospital for evaluation after the crash, Kelly said. She voluntarily submitted blood and urine samples that tested negative for drugs and alcohol, he said.
“Some evidence has been developed indicating the possibility of a medical emergency leading up to the crash,” Kell said. “However, the investigation of this information and other evidence has not yet concluded and will continue until all leads and research have been exhausted.”
He would not elaborate on the possible health issue or say what evidence investigators have indicating a medical emergency may have occurred. He also would not say whether the driver was conscious and alert when emergency responders reached her.
Security camera footage showed the vehicle was “a substantial distance” away when it left the roadway, said Jamie Loftus, founder of YNOT Outdoors. It crossed the field, a road, the sidewalk and YNOT’s parking lot before crashing through the building “with no apparent attempt to alter its direction,” Loftus said earlier this week. The vehicle then crossed a gravel road and crashed into a pole and fence.
Kelly said the vehicle traveled more than 1,300 feet (396 meters) but would not elaborate and also would not say how fast the vehicle was moving.
He said he could not provide a timeline for completing the investigation and said charges, if appropriate, would be up to the Sangamon County state's attorney.
Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly speaks at a news conference Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Springfield, Ill., about the car that crashed through an after-school program in Chatham, Ill., killing multiple children. (AP Photo/John O'Connor)
Brandy Fletcher leaves flowers at the scene after a car barreled through a building used for an after-school camp Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Chatham, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
An overhead view shows the scene where victims were killed when a car barreled through a building used for an after-school camp, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Chatham, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Police tape is left at the scene after a car barreled through a building used for an after-school camp Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Chatham, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Damage is visible at the scene after a car barreled through a building used for an after-school camp Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Chatham, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
