O's what a month: Orioles set June HR mark

SEATTLE -- It was only fitting that Hyun Soo Kim, who went hitless in his first 23 spring at-bats, would be the one in the Orioles star-studded lineup to put Baltimore in historic territory.
Kim, who went yard off Mariners starter Taijuan Walker to open the seventh inning Thursday, gave the Orioles their 56th homer in June, giving them sole possession of the Major League record for the month. The O's, who tied the 1996 Oakland A's with 55 homers in June in Wednesday's win, used Kim's third homer of the season to set the mark in the 5-3 loss to Seattle.
"I really had no idea, but when the Seattle Mariners were having a pitching change, the outfielders gathered and Mark Trumbo and Adam Jones told me about it," Kim said through his interpreter. "Then I realized that was the Major League record."

Kim -- who has been on fire of late -- blasted an 0-1 pitch into the right-field seats at Safeco Field, putting Baltimore on the scoreboard, trailing, 4-1. He drove in another run in the eighth.
The '96 A's reached 55 over 29 games, while Baltimore hit 55 in just 27 games, taking the record in its 28th game. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Orioles extended their streak of June 30 homers to 23 years, the longest streak on a particular date in MLB history.
"I was in there watching video and heard them talk about it," Orioles starter Chris Tillman said of the June homer record. "Pretty special. Not every day you get to see that. These guys are fun to watch."
The 1961 Yankees and Milwaukee Braves rank second and third on the list for home runs in June, with 53 and 52, respectively. The record for home runs by a team in one calendar month is 58, shared by the Orioles in May '87 and the Mariners in May '99.
"It would have been really special if we were able to win the game," Kim said. "Since we didn't, we can't really be congratulating too much. But I'm really glad and happy that I'm able to participate in games we are winning. So, that comes as very special to me."