Jackson Holliday hits slam for first career homer

BALTIMORE — The second wasn’t too huge for Jackson Holliday. The 20-year-old has dreamt about delivering crucial hits in baseball video games since he was a toddler, and his disappointing debut stint in MLB didn’t even come near shattering his confidence.

From the second Holliday linked with this explicit pitch on Wednesday afternoon, he knew his first huge league dwelling run — an enormous grand slam — was about to be logged within the report books.

“That’s about as greatest as I can hit a ball,” mentioned the Orioles’ second baseman and son of seven-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday. “That’s about all I acquired.”

MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 general prospect introduced his return to the Majors with a Statcast-projected 439-foot slam within the fifth inning of Baltimore’s 10-4 win within the collection finale vs. Toronto at Camden Yards. Holliday belted an 0-2 slider from Blue Jays right-hander Yerry Rodríguez, with the ball leaving the bat at 109.2 mph.

The gargantuan blast sailed over the right-field flag courtroom and onto Eutaw Avenue, as Holliday (20 years, 240 days outdated) turned the youngest participant in franchise historical past to hit a grand slam.

It was the seventh Eutaw homer of the season, the fifth by an Orioles participant. Of the 129 whole dwelling runs hit to Eutaw Avenue, solely two have been a participant’s first profession homer, with Holliday becoming a member of the Astros’ Robbie Grossman, who achieved the feat precisely 11 years earlier on July 31, 2013.

“He’s acquired yet one more Eutaw Avenue dwelling run than me. I used to be messing with him about that,” mentioned outfielder Colton Cowser, who additionally went deep within the victory. “However yeah, actually pleased for him.”

Holliday is the third participant in Orioles historical past (since 1954) to hit a grand slam for his first MLB dwelling run, becoming a member of Frank Baker (Sept. 28, 1973) and Fritz Connally (April 19, 1985). He’s the eighth-youngest in AL/NL historical past to have his first homer be a slam, per the Elias Sports activities Bureau.

“It’s fairly surreal. Couldn’t have dreamt it up any higher for a primary dwelling run,” mentioned Holliday, the No. 1 general choose within the 2022 MLB Draft. “It’s simply thrilling to have the ability to assist the workforce win, you already know? After I was struggling, I felt like I couldn’t actually do this. However to have the ability to come by way of in an enormous spot is extra vital to me than anything.”

Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk previous to the sport, Holliday mentioned within the morning that he felt “extra ready” heading into the beginning of his second MLB stint. His preliminary huge league callup didn’t go as he — or anyone else, for that matter — anticipated, as he went 2-for-34 with a pair of singles and 18 strikeouts over 10 video games from April 10-23.

Holliday dropped to 2-for-36 in his MLB profession with groundouts in every of his first two plate appearances Wednesday earlier than he stepped to the plate with the bases full within the fifth to face Rodríguez. Holliday fell behind, 0-2, earlier than capitalizing on the mislocated slider and increasing the Orioles’ result in 8-3 with one swing.

“I do know [his career] hasn’t began the way in which he needed, however he’s the No. 1 prospect for a motive,” Toronto supervisor John Schneider mentioned. “That’s what you do with a dangling breaking ball. That was a powerful swing.”

Added Baltimore skipper Brandon Hyde: “I assumed his at-bats had been significantly better.”

Holliday’s 1-for-5 day almost featured a second dwelling run, which might have been a three-run shot within the sixth. He lined an 0-1 fastball from right-hander Ryan Burr the other method to left area, and it went over the decrease a part of the left-field wall close to the foul pole, however simply to the left.

The O’s challenged the decision, nevertheless it stood following a replay assessment.

“I knew I hit all of it proper, and I assumed perhaps it will fall, after which rapidly, it was over the wall,” Holliday mentioned. “I didn’t suppose it was going to be anyplace near being a house run, however I actually want it was. That might’ve been fairly superior.”

Don’t get Holliday flawed, although. His first sport again was nonetheless a lot superior.

After Holliday rounded the bases and celebrated together with his teammates at dwelling plate for the primary time as an enormous leaguer, he retreated to the dugout. However the crowd continued to roar loudly, so Gunnar Henderson inspired him to exit for a curtain name.

Holliday popped again out, gave a fast tip of the cap and went again in. Later, after the sport and previous to his on-field interview on MASN, Cowser and Henderson dumped a cooler of Gatorade on Holliday.

They had been all memorable moments on a day that neither Holliday nor anyone else who was at Camden Yards will neglect anytime quickly.

“It’s all the time good to have teammates which might be rooting for you. That’s particular to me,” Holliday mentioned. “And to have the followers there rooting you on, it’s very particular.”