HR theft karma: Santander pulls a J-Rod … on J-Rod!

BALTIMORE — Anthony Santander bought some revenge for certainly one of his Orioles teammates early in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over the Mariners at Camden Yards by making a incredible leaping catch. Then the 28-year-old outfielder impressed all of them with the continuation of his current dwelling run surge.

Let’s begin with Santander’s defensive gem, although, as a result of it was a outstanding play that supplied Baltimore with an early jolt of power.

On Saturday, Ryan O’Hearn almost hit a two-run dwelling run within the seventh inning of Baltimore’s 6-4, 10-inning win over Seattle. However, he bought robbed through a sensational catch by Mariners middle fielder Julio Rodríguez, who took again the homer by reaching over the left-center-field wall, simply in entrance of the Orioles’ bullpen.

The first time Rodríguez stepped to the plate within the first inning on Sunday, the 22-year-old rising star thought he had a homer of his personal, which might have been his second in as many days. But, on this present day he was on the flawed finish of a house run theft.

Rodríguez blasted a 1-2 slider from Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish the alternative method to right-center discipline at an exit velocity of 104.9 mph and a launch angle of 33 levels, per Statcast. The ball traveled 377 ft and would have been a homer at 13 of the 30 MLB ballparks — however not at Camden Yards, because of Santander.

A 2020 American League Gold Glove finalist, Santander once more flashed the leather-based by leaping on the wall — immediately in entrance of the grounds crew shed — and taking away a homer for Rodríguez with a terrific seize.

“I thought I had a chance,” Santander stated of his preliminary learn. “It was a high fly ball, so I was making sure to run all the way back to the fence and make good timing.”

After throwing the ball again into the infield, Santander raised his proper arm within the air after which obtained a high-five from middle fielder Cedric Mullins. Meanwhile, all Rodríguez may do was smile, as he flashed a large grin and clapped his palms collectively on his manner again to Seattle’s dugout.

After all, Rodríguez knew how nice Santander will need to have been feeling at that second. Both Bradish and O’s catcher Anthony Bemboom have been feeling fairly good, too.

“That was almost the highlight of my game right there,” stated Bradish, who allowed solely two runs and struck out seven over a season-high-tying seven innings. “To have that in the first inning kind of fired me up.”

Added Bemboom: “Off the bat, I thought it was a home run. But that was a really awesome play. And then, he came up with a huge home run.”

No shock there. Quite a lot of balls which have made contact with Santander’s bat have left the yard this week.

In the third inning on Sunday, Santander blasted a game-tying two-run homer to proper discipline off a 2-2 curveball from Mariners starter George Kirby. It was Santander’s team-leading 14th dwelling run of the season, with 5 of them coming up to now six video games. He grew to become the primary Oriole to go deep in three straight contests this 12 months, a feat he achieved for the second time in his seven-year large league profession (Aug. 8-11, 2021).

Santander’s homer tear is coming after he did not go deep in any of his first 14 video games of June. Manager Brandon Hyde believes Santander is heating up as a result of he’s had higher timing on his swings in opposition to fastballs, which then offers him a greater alternative to see extra breaking pitches — just like the one he crushed 390 ft Sunday.

“He’s staying on the ball so well,” Hyde stated. “He’s got a ton of confidence right now, like he should.”

Santander is at all times having enjoyable. He’s persistently flashing smiles — within the clubhouse, within the dugout and on the sector — each day.

But what’s extra enjoyable? Robbing a homer or hitting a clutch one?

“The first one is good because I’m able to keep the score at zero for my pitcher,” Santander stated, sporting a smile. “And a homer to tie the game, or give the lead to the team, is also fun. It all depends on the situation.”

Here’s one thing else that’s enjoyable: Series wins.

In Friday’s opener vs. Seattle, Baltimore took a 13-1 loss, its most lopsided defeat of the season so far. The membership bounced again by successful in 10 innings on Saturday after which recording a one-run victory on Sunday, when it additionally earned its twenty seventh comeback win of 2023, tied with Cincinnati for probably the most in MLB.

It was a powerful response by the Orioles (47-29), who nonetheless haven’t been swept in a sequence or misplaced greater than three consecutive video games this season.

“Whatever happened that first game, we just leave it in the past,” Santander stated. “We came the next two days with the right mentality, with good energy, and we were able to win those games.”