– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
BALTIMORE — If the adage is true that you only get one chance to make a good first impression, Jackson Holliday gave everyone on the Inner Harbor a reason to question such conventional wisdom — along with countless reasons to anticipate the birth of a superstar —with one mighty swing on Wednesday afternoon.
Back in the big leagues for the second time this season, the 20-year-old Holliday slugged a grand slam for his first career home run in the fifth inning to break open the game in the Orioles’ eventual 10-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards to give Baltimore a series victory in the four-game set.
Holliday is the third player since the Orioles’ franchise moved from St. Louis to hit a grand slam as his first Major League home run and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the eighth player in Major League history to have his first career home run come with the bases loaded.
It took a little longer than many expected for Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, to provide a moment like this, as his much-ballyhooed call-up to the Majors in April yielded 18 strikeouts (and just two hits) in only 34 at-bats. Hit No. 3, almost four months later and after a stint back in Triple-A, landed 439 feet from home plate and onto Eutaw Street, a sight that Baltimore hopes is one they’ll be getting used to from their latest potential young superstar.
“It’s pretty surreal. Couldn’t have dreamt it up any better for a first home run,” Holliday said. “It’s just exciting to be able to help the team win, you know?. When I was struggling, I felt like I couldn’t really do that. But to be able to come through in a big spot is more important to me than anything else.”
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Wednesday afternoon’s game, with photos taken by DC-area photographer Cory Royster. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page, Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 23 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
