Holliday looking better in the bigs thanks to ... an arcade game?

CLEVELAND -- The key to Jackson Holliday’s improved second stint in the big leagues could be his adjusted swing mechanics, or perhaps the more relaxed approach he’s taking onto the field.

Or maybe, it’s “Golden Tee Golf,” the arcade game that the 20-year-old started to play while at Triple-A Norfolk earlier this summer. To the delight of MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect, the visitors’ clubhouse at Progressive Field has the game among its multiple arcade offerings.

So, a few hours before Saturday’s Orioles-Guardians game, Holliday stood alone, taking on a virtual version of John Daly on “Golden Tee” and setting course records, repeatedly entering “J-A-X” on the leaderboards.

“Honestly, once I started playing that in Norfolk, I started hitting good again,” Holliday said with a grin. “I made a hole-in-one on a par-five today, so I think that was a guaranteed two hits.”

Sure enough, Holliday recorded his second consecutive multihit showing -- the first two of his 14-game Major League career -- while helping power Baltimore to a 7-4 win over Cleveland.

Holliday went 2-for-34 (.059) with one RBI and 18 strikeouts during his first 10-game MLB stint. This time, he is 5-for-14 (.357) with six RBIs, four of which came on his first big league home run -- a grand slam in a win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday, the day he was called up as the dust settled from the Orioles’ plethora of Trade Deadline moves.

“He’s much more under control in the batter’s box, he’s much more behind the baseball,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He’s not as jumpy since he’s come up.”

Nearly every time Holliday steps to the plate in recent days, he’s putting together a competitive at-bat. His first plate appearance in the third inning on Saturday resulted in a flyout to the right-field warning track, but he worked the count full after falling behind 0-2, working a seven-pitch AB.

In the fifth, Holliday drove a 3-2 fastball from Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo the opposite way for a double off the left-field wall. Holliday later came around to score the go-ahead run on a single by Gunnar Henderson.

It was a perfect example of the simplified plan that Holliday implemented during his return to the Minors, where he focused on using the whole field to his advantage.

“I’m starting to see the ball a little deeper and allowing myself to go the other way, which allows me to see the ball for a longer time,” Holliday said. “Honestly, a whole lot more comfortable. Just trusting myself and my approach and just trying to have fun. Even when I’m getting out, I feel like I’m hitting the ball hard and putting together good at-bats, which is important.”

Baltimore put the game out of reach with a four-run eighth, a rally capped by a two-out RBI single from Holliday, who finished with two hits for the second straight day.

At 20 years and 243 days old, Holliday is one of only nine players in O’s history (since 1954) to record a multihit game at that young of an age. And he’s only the second to do so over the past 60 seasons, along with Manny Machado (who did it multiple times during the 2012 campaign).

“The goal is to have a competitive AB every single time you go out, and he’s been doing that. He’s been getting hits,” said right-hander Zach Eflin, who allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings in his second start for Baltimore. “It’s been really fun to watch him, especially as a 20-year-old. That’s just crazy.”

The O’s (66-46) remain tied with the Yankees (66-46) atop the American League East standings. Baltimore dropped the first two games in Cleveland and will have an opportunity to split the series on Sunday.

Holliday may be the youngest player in the Orioles’ clubhouse, but he has become the everyday second baseman amid the team’s push for a second consecutive AL East title. They’ll likely need him to play well down the stretch, with both Jorge Mateo (left elbow subluxation) and Jordan Westburg (right hand fracture) out until late in the regular season, at the earliest.

Is Holliday feeling the urgency to win, especially on days like Saturday, when the Yanks had been victorious earlier in the day and the O’s were taking on the MLB-best Guardians?

“Honestly, I think the goal is to win every game, right?” Holliday said. “No matter what’s going on on the outside. I don’t think there’s a direct focus besides, ‘Let’s just go out there and win and do what we’re supposed to do.’ I think that’s kind of the main focus that I know that I’m taking, is just going out and trying to win.”

On Sunday, the Orioles will have an opportunity to split the four-game series in Cleveland, where the finale will occur at 1:40 p.m. ET.

It’s an early start, but there could still be time for Holliday to sneak in another round on “Golden Tee” -- especially if he knows it’s his burgeoning good-luck charm when he gets holes-in-one.

“I’ll have to try to do that tomorrow, as well,” Holliday quipped.