Kjerstad's 1st grand slam gives O's franchise-record 60 June HRs

BALTIMORE -- Heston Kjerstad had just popped in a fresh piece of bubble gum, decompressing after rounding the bases and taking a swig of water out of the Orioles’ homer hydration station. Then, the 25-year-old looked up at the big screen and saw his face as the sellout crowd at Camden Yards was going wild at the end of the fifth inning Saturday night.

“Oh, whoa, we’re up there,” Kjerstad thought to himself, before pumping his fist to acknowledge the ravenous fans.

The rest of the Baltimore players in the first-base dugout encouraged Kjerstad to step back onto the field and tip his cap for a curtain call -- that’s what a first MLB grand slam that also extended a franchise home run record is worthy of, after all.

“We’ve got to work on that. Early work tomorrow on the timing of curtain calls, because that was five seconds too late,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “That’s 10 push-ups for that tomorrow.”

Kjerstad’s curtain calls may need improvement. His home run swing does not.

The Orioles’ No. 4 prospect (MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 overall) belted a go-ahead slam off Rangers starter Michael Lorenzen in the fifth, leading the O’s to a 6-5 victory. Kjerstad’s fourth big league blast was his second of the season and Baltimore’s 60th homer of June, its most in a single month in franchise history.

The O’s -- who are 53-30 and took sole possession of first place over the Yankees (53-32) in the American League East -- became only the third team in AL/NL history to hit at least 60 homers in a month.

Most home runs in a single month, AL/NL history
1. 74 -- Yankees in August 2019
2. 61 -- Braves in June 2023
3. 60 -- Orioles in June 2024

“We’re leading the league in homers [with 139] because we have a ton of guys that have a ton of power, and good hitters on top of it,” Hyde said. “Strong guys.”

Some, such as Kjerstad, are a bit more powerful and stronger than others.

“The raw power is on another level,” Hyde noted.

Moments like the one on Saturday night are the reason Kjerstad continued to work hard at Triple-A Norfolk for much of the first half of the season, rather than be disappointed he wasn’t in the big leagues after getting small tastes of the Majors last September/October and this April/May.

Kjerstad, who was recalled by Baltimore on Monday, realized the magnitude of the situation when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, with the O’s trailing, 2-1.

“Close game, sold-out stadium, bases loaded -- those are the moments you want to be a part of,” Kjerstad said.

Kjerstad wasn’t sure if the ball was going to carry over the center-field fence after he connected with a 1-1 cutter from Lorenzen. It had a hangtime of 6.6 seconds (per Statcast) -- but it also traveled 395 feet, landing beyond the wall and giving the Orioles a 5-2 lead they never relinquished.

In five games since his latest promotion, Kjerstad is 5-for-12 (.417) with one double, two homers, seven RBIs and three walks. He reached base in all four of his plate appearances on Saturday.

“That’s the type of player I am,” Kjerstad said, “and that’s the type of player I want to be when I come to the park, so that way I can help this team win and help this team for a playoff push down the road.”

It’s also the type of player that Kjerstad, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, has repeatedly shown he can be in the Minors.

“I’ve seen him do it so many times in Norfolk,” left-hander Cade Povich said of Kjerstad’s grand slam. “It was awesome to see.”

Kjerstad’s slam made Povich a winner, as Baltimore’s No. 9 prospect earned his first MLB victory with five innings of two-run ball in his fifth big league start. Kjerstad also helped extend an O’s record, one of two broken by Anthony Santander earlier in the night.

Entering Saturday, Baltimore had 58 June homers, tied for its most in a single month in franchise history. Santander hit the tie-breaking 59th -- a second-inning leadoff shot off Lorenzen -- which was also the 29-year-old outfielder’s 13th of the month, the most by an O’s player in a single June in club history.

It’s been a torrid month for Santander, whose 22 home runs this season are the fifth most in MLB. The previous O’s record for homers in a single June was 12, which was accomplished by four sluggers -- Chris Davis (2013), Albert Belle (2000), Rafael Palmeiro (1998) and Boog Powell (1964).

Santander’s 13 June homers are two shy of the Orioles' mark for most homers in a single month, a record held by Jim Gentile (15 in August 1961).

Baltimore has won four straight contests, including each of its first three vs. Texas in a four-game set featuring a rematch from last year’s AL Division Series. The O’s will have an opportunity to sweep the team that swept them out of the 2023 postseason when the series concludes on Sunday Night Baseball.

“We’re happy that we took the first three games,” Santander said. “But we have to come back tomorrow, and then win tomorrow.”