TORONTO — Jackson Holliday insists he’s not trying to hit home runs. He’s running into them quite a bit anyway.
The Orioles’ 20-year-old rookie infielder became the youngest player in American League history to hit a home run in three straight games with his latest blast Wednesday night, a 424-foot shot in the seventh inning that gave Baltimore the lead for good in their 7-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the first time the Orioles had come back from a deficit in the sixth inning or later since a May 25 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
“I think it’s awesome to be able to just get hits and be able to, like I said, help the team,” Holliday said after the game. “But yeah, they start to pile up and get a few knocks from there and been able to put some good swings on the ball lately.”
Holliday returned to the majors July 31 for his second chance at sticking with the Orioles and so far has made the most of the opportunity, going 9-for-23 (.391) with four home runs — including three of at least 400 feet. The 6-foot, 185-pound rookie said in the clubhouse Wednesday afternoon that the 109 mph rocket he hit for a homer Tuesday was the hardest he’s ever hit a baseball and he nearly matched it with his go-ahead 107.2 mph blast.
“He’s got a nice swing and there’s a lot of things that work in that swing and he’s got a lot of confidence and he really can get on a fastball,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I just think we’re seeing the confidence growing honestly up here at this level. Little bit of success and all of a sudden you start feeling good in the batter’s box and he’s getting some huge hits.”
It was a hit the Orioles (68-47) needed after losing the series opener Tuesday and falling behind early against Toronto. Anthony Santander gave Baltimore a quick 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the first inning, but the offense stalled from there against Toronto starter Bowden Francis. Home plate umpire Larry Vanover made several questionable strike calls at the expense of the Orioles, leading to Hyde being tossed in the fifth inning for arguing a pair of egregious calls against center fielder Colton Cowser.
But that provided the spark the Orioles were looking for as Holliday homered the following frame and Santander left the yard again with a solo shot in the eighth for his 34th long ball of the season — a career high that tied the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani for the second most in the majors this year. Santander also made his presence felt defensively, robbing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of a would-be game-tying double in the eighth with a leaping catch at the wall. Guerrero Jr. recognized the play with a tip of the helmet as he walked off the field.
“That’s just what he’s been doing this year,” Hyde said. “He has just been playing unbelievable baseball on both sides. To make that type of play, he is just so locked in to win right now. When he comes to the ballpark, it’s all about winning tonight’s game. He’s going to do anything he can to win the next game and tonight he carried us offensively and makes the catch of the game and what a tough play.”
Making his second start for Baltimore since being acquired from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline, Orioles starter Trevor Rogers put himself in several early jams but limited the damage to three runs allowed (two earned) over five innings. Toronto loaded the bases against him in the first but only pushed one run across on a sacrifice fly by Spencer Horwitz. Rogers allowed two more hits in the second, including an RBI single by No. 9 hitter Brian Serven, before a throwing error by rookie third baseman Coby Mayo allowed a third run to score.
“Obviously, I want the first two innings to go my way a little bit. Having my team score two runs early in the game, definitely want a couple goose eggs just to make the game a little bit easier there,” Rogers said. “That’s part of the game, but it’s definitely heading a good direction where I was in Miami.”
Though he already had a high pitch count, Rogers settled in from there to pitch three scoreless innings and end his night on a much higher note than his Orioles debut Thursday, when he allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Cleveland Guardians. With bench coach Fredi González managing the bullpen in place of Hyde, right-hander Burch Smith pitched the sixth, followed by Yennier Cano for the seventh and Cionel Pérez in the eighth.
All three posted zeroes while the Orioles’ offense padded its lead. Eloy Jiménez continued his hot start to his Baltimore career, hitting a two-run double down the right field line in the eighth for his second hit of the night. Jiménez, a deadline acquisition from the White Sox, has three multi-hit games in four starts since joining the Orioles.
Though Jiménez’s double eliminated the save situation, Seranthony Domínguez pitched the ninth and worked around a leadoff double to clinch the victory. The Orioles will look to win the series Thursday when Dean Kremer starts against the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman in their final game against Toronto this season. Baltimore has gone 6-5 so far against its AL East rivals.
Orioles at Blue Jays
Thursday, 7:07 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
