BALTIMORE (AP) — Jackson Holliday's first home run of the season may be one of the more unusual homers he's hit.
His two-run shot in the fourth inning that gave the Baltimore Orioles the lead for good in a 7-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night went 337 feet and sneaked just over the wall and under the foul pole in left field, coming to rest on the concrete block supporting the pole.
A fan quickly dashed over to grab the souvenir.
Tigers left fielder Riley Greene ran over to try to make a catch, then briefly looked around in apparent confusion when he couldn't find the ball. Detroit pitcher Jack Flaherty had an incredulous look on his face.
Holliday didn't know what to think.
"I was like, ‘OK, I flew out, whatever,’” Holliday said.
“Then, I saw Riley running back, and I was like, ‘Oh man, maybe he’s not going to catch it,’” he added.
The homer gave the Orioles a 6-4 lead.
It was the shortest out-of-the-park home run to left field at Camden Yards since 2015, according to Statcast.
“That home run was impressive in a lot of different ways — how it went underneath the foul pole, but also, from our vantage point in the dugout, that ball could have hooked foul,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “But his swing path is so clean where the ball flight just stayed true.”
Holliday also had a single in the third inning, walked once and scored a pair of runs. Holliday, on the injured list since March 22 following surgery on the hamate bone in his right hand, was activated by the Orioles on Monday.
The top overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft played in the minor leagues in the first eight weeks of the season. In 22 minor league games, Holliday batted .176 with a double, triple, home run and five RBIs.
“It’s been a little bit of a grind of a year so far, and just to be up here with these guys and contributing to a win,” Holliday said, “it’s awesome.”
The son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, he batted .242 in 2025, his first full major league season, with 17 homers and 55 RBIs. He made his MLB debut in 2024.
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Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday (7) rounds the bases past Detroit Tigers second baseman Hao-Yu Lee (50) after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday (7) hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rookie Munetaka Murakami hit a bases-clearing, bases-loaded double in his second plate appearance of a wild nine-run fourth inning, Andrew Benintendi doubled in two runs earlier in the frame to help back Davis Martin's latest strong outing, and the Chicago White Sox beat the San Francisco Giants 9-4 on Friday night.
Giants right-hander Trevor McDonald (2-1) retired the first nine Chicago hitters in order then didn't make it out of the fourth. He plunked leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci then followed by hitting Murakami. Colson Montgomery hit a single for Chicago's first hit one out later to load the bases and Chase Meidroth drew walk to force home the first run before Benintendi's double.
The nine runs allowed by the Giants in the fourth were their most in any inning since surrendering nine to the Athletics in the fifth inning on Aug. 16, 2020.
Martin (7-1) struck out seven and walked two over 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He is 11-2 over his 19 outings since Aug. 10 last year while allowing three earned runs or fewer 18 of those appearances until Friday. The right-hander struck out seven or more batters for the sixth straight start.
Chicago won for the ninth time in 12 games, improving its interleague record in the Giants' ballpark to 9-3.
Hundreds of fans at Oracle Park removed their shirts and twirled them in the eighth inning in the trending “tarps off” phenomenon taking place in ballparks everywhere.
A couple of hours before first pitch, the Giants placed right fielder Jung Hoo Lee on the 10-day injured list with a mid-back strain and called up outfield prospect Victor Bericoto from Triple-A Sacramento.
The 24-year-old Venezuelan made his major league as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eighth and struck out swinging then stayed in the game to play right field.
RHP Erick Fedde (0-4, 4.30 ERA) was set to take the mound for the White Sox in the middle game of the series opposite Giants RHP Adrian Houser (2-4, 5.25).
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San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader (9) catches a fly ball hit by Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi next to right fielder Drew Gilbert, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Fans at Oracle Park go "tarps off" during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami (5) and Colson Montgomery (12) celebrate after both scored on Andrew Benintendi's two-run double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami, left, stands at first base with first base coach Jose Leger after Murakami was hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)