The Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday returned to the majors for the second time this season with a bang. After going 2-for-34 in his first stint with the Orioles, Holliday came back smoking hot. His first home run of the season came against the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards.
It was a 439-foot grand slam against right-hander Yerry Rodríguez, with the ball leaving the bat at 109.2 mph. The ball landed on Eutaw Street, the seventh of the season and the fifth by an Orioles player.
On Friday, Holliday and his wife, Chloe, visited the spot at Eutaw Street where the ball landed. Chloe shared a glimpse of the spot on social media:
Why was Jackson Holliday's maiden Eutaw home run so special?
There have only been 129 home runs that have landed on Eutaw Street. Holliday's first career home run joins the Astros' Robbie Grossman, whose first home run in July 2013 also landed on Eutaw Street.
“He’s got one more Eutaw Street home run than me. I was messing with him about that,” said outfielder Colton Cowser. “But yeah, really happy for him.”
Even Jackson Holliday thought there couldn't be any better hit than the one he had for his debut home run in his MLB career.
“It’s pretty surreal. Couldn’t have dreamt it up any better for a first home run,” Holliday said via MLB.com. “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.”
Jackson Holliday credits Chloe for improving his swing
For Jackson Holliday, his wife watching him at bat turned out to be a blessing as it helped him sort his swing.
On "Foul Territory," the Orioles prospect revealed how his wife helped him sort his swing.
"Chloe usually watches me train, trying to figure everything out. She once told me it (my swing) looked a bit different," Holliday said (25:12). "She's the best. Just having her watch me practice helped me know I need to sort out my swing."
On Friday, Holliday went berserk again, registering his first four-hit game, going 4-5, including three singles and a triple, against the Boston Red Sox.
Many firsts await Holliday as he goes about his career.