BALTIMORE (AP) — A day after the trade deadline, the Baltimore Orioles made another big addition.
And boy did he deliver.
Jackson Holliday connected for a fifth-inning grand slam for his first major league home run after being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday for his second shot at the major leagues. Holliday, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, made his big league debut earlier this season, but went 2 for 34 at the plate with 18 strikeouts and was sent back down.
“It was obviously sad to go back down, but got to go down there and make some adjustments and improve a little bit,” Holliday said before Wednesday’s game against Toronto. “Set myself up for second time around, so glad to be here.”
After grounding out his first two times up, Holliday hit a 439-foot drive to right field that was so obviously gone he paused a bit before starting his trot. Holliday then waved to the crowd from the dugout.
Holliday is emblematic of a Baltimore team that still feels it can use its farm system to provide direct help for the major league club — instead of simply trading prospects for established big leaguers. The Orioles did plenty of the latter as well, acquiring two starting pitchers, a couple bullpen arms and some potential help for the outfield before Tuesday's deadline.
But Baltimore didn't land a real top-of-the-rotation type of pitcher. Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell, for example, stayed with Detroit and San Francisco, and the Orioles held onto Holliday, catching prospect Samuel Basallo and minor league infield slugger Coby Mayo.
“Every time a ranking came out, Holliday, Basallo and Mayo were ranked higher and higher and higher,” general manager Mike Elias said. “You got three very young kids that are consensus top-15 prospects in all of baseball. The value on that makes it very hard to find something to trade them for that makes any sense.”
The Orioles lead the AL East but have also lost 19 of their last 34 games. With their wealth of young position players in both the majors and minors, they were a team that could have conceivably made a huge splash, but throughout baseball this was a deadline in which few big names moved.
Baltimore acquired Zach Eflin from Tampa Bay and Trevor Rogers from Miami, and both should join the rotation immediately. Perhaps just as importantly, both are still under team control next season, too.
“Some of the real crazy big names that people were throwing around didn't get traded at all,” Elias said. “I think all things considered we got two of the better starting pitchers available this deadline, and also they're controllable beyond this season.”
This was Baltimore's first trade deadline since new owner David Rubenstein took over the team at the beginning of this season, and it's noteworthy that the Orioles took on Eflin, who is due to make $18 million next year. Baltimore also traded for outfielder Eloy Jiménez, who is finishing up a $43 million, six-year deal that includes team options the next two seasons.
So that's a sign that spending could increase in Baltimore going forward.
“I think the ownership group is going to maximize the potential of this franchise," Elias said. "This is not New York City, this is not Los Angeles, but it is a really good baseball town with an extremely passionate, historic fan base and a beautiful stadium that we are going to not only renovate but hopefully monetize a lot better over the next few years.”
The 20-year-old Holliday, the son of former outfielder Matt Holliday, is No. 1 in MLB Pipeline's prospect ranking. Baltimore had room for him after sending infielder Connor Norby to Miami in the deal for Rogers. Infielder Jorge Mateo is not expected back for a while because of an elbow injury.
The Orioles optioned catcher Blake Hunt and utilityman Terrin Vavra to Norfolk.
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Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) throws to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (6) for an out on a ground ball hit by Toronto Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) gets ready in the dugout before a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday fields a ground ball hit in by Toronto Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz before throwing to first for an out during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
FILE - Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday works out before a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Baltimore. The Baltimore Orioles recalled the top-ranked prospect from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, giving the infielder his second shot at the major leagues. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Julio Rodríguez homered twice to drive in five runs, George Kirby went six innings for his 13th victory and the AL wild card-chasing Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 8-2 on Friday night.
Rodríguez put the Mariners (79-75) ahead to stay with his three-run homer in the fifth off Jack Leiter, who relieved Jacob deGrom after the two-time Cy Young Award winner made his first home start in nearly 17 months after elbow surgery.
Seattle remained two games behind Minnesota for the third and final wild card after the Twins beat Boston 4-2 in 12 innings. The Mariners stayed five back of Houston in the AL West with eight games remaining, three in Houston.
“We’re still in it. Everyone’s confident. Just got to to keep playing good baseball," Kirby said.
“It feels great. Obviously we have a shot to get into the playoffs,” Rodríguez said. “But I feel like everybody knows that and understands that at the same time we've got to take it one day at a time. ... We've got to focus on that right now.”
Rodríguez tied a career high for RBIs with his first multihomer game this season. His first homer put Seattle up 4-2, and he went deep off the rookie right-hander again in the seventh with a two-run shot the opposite way to right field for his 18th of the year.
Kirby (13-11) beat the reigning World Series champions again, five days after facing the minimum 21 batters over seven scoreless innings at home against them. The 26-year-old right-hander is 7-0 with a 1.15 ERA in nine career starts against Texas. He struck out four without a walk this time while allowing two runs on five hits.
“George jumped picked up right where he left off against Texas back at home,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said.
Nathaniel Lowe had a two-run single for the Rangers (73-81), who have already been eliminated from the AL West race and are on the verge of being officially knocked out of wild-card contention and guaranteed a losing record.
Lowe's hit ended Kirby's streak of 34 consecutive scoreless innings against Texas in a span of seven starts since Sept. 28, 2022.
DeGrom struck out five over three innings, and the only run he allowed was when No. 9 batter Josh Rojas led off the third with a homer. Rojas later added a sacrifice fly.
Leiter (0-3) allowed seven runs (six earned) over five innings. He struck out five and walked two while throwing 57 of 92 pitches for strikes.
A week after throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his season debut on the road, also against the Mariners, deGrom threw 37 of 58 pitches for strikes and had one walk. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had said the 36-year-old right-hander would throw about 60 pitches.
“Definitely felt better than my first one. I think maybe a little bit less nerves, worked on some things in between,” said deGrom, who will get one more start this season. "It’s little things that I've got to continue to work on, but my arm felt good and that was the most important thing.”
It was the first start at home for deGrom since he left in the middle of the fourth inning against the New York Yankees on April 28, 2023. That was the sixth and last start in the first season of his $185 million, five-year contract.
UP NEXT
Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer (2-4, 3.95 ERA) makes his second start since coming off the IL after missing 40 games with right shoulder fatigue and an arm nerve issue. Rookie right-hander Emerson Hancock (3-4, 4.83) starts for Seattle.
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Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe (30) hits a two-run single in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez celebrates in the dugout after a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners Josh Rojas (4) celebrates in the dugout after a solo home run against the Texas Rangers in the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) and catcher Jonah Heim (28) walk back to the dugout in the first inning in a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez (44) hits a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez reacts toward the dugout as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
