Jackson Holliday gets 1st hit, scores winning run in Orioles’ 6-4 victory over Brewers

BALTIMORE—Jackson Holliday’s first major league hit was a huge one. The 20-year-old singled in the bottom of the seventh and scored the Orioles’ winning run after two difficult losses to the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend.

Holliday, who had been hitless in 13 at-bats with nine strikeouts, including in his first two at-bats against Milwaukee starter Colin Rae, singled to right in the seventh inning against Abner Uribe (1-1), sending Jordan Westburg to third.

Westburg, who had singled, scored on Gunnar Henderson’s single to right to tie the score, 4-4. Holliday, who was promoted by the Orioles on Tuesday, showed his speed, taking third on Henderson’s hit. He came home with what proved to be the winning run, and gave the Orioles a 5-4 lead, when Adley Rutschman hit into a double play. It turned out to be the key run in the Orioles’ 6-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers before 35,085 on Sunday.

After allowing 22 runs in lopsided 11-1 and 11-5 losses to the Brewers (10-4) on Friday and Saturday, the Orioles (9-6) ensured that they would avoid being swept in a regular season series for the 96^th consecutive time.

Colton Cowser continued his hot hitting by slamming his fourth home run in the eighth inning to give the Orioles a two-run lead.

Holliday grounded to second base for the final out of the eighth.

Oriole closer Craig Kimbrel allowed one-out singles to Blake Perkins and William Contreras in the ninth, but struck out Rhys Hoskins and Sal Frelick for his third save, the 420^th of his career. Kimbrel trails Billy Wagner by two saves for seventh place on the all-time save list.

Contreras led off with a home run against Oriole starter Corbin Burnes, who was pitching against Milwaukee for the first time since they traded him to Baltimore in February. The Orioles tied it in the bottom of the first on Ryan Mountcastle’s run-scoring single and took a 2-1 lead when Cedric Mullins led off the second with his third home run.

Milwaukee tied it in the third when Perkins, who led off the inning with a single, scored from third as Frelick, who was on first, was thrown out in a rundown.

Ryan O’Hearn’s second home run against Rae gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead in the third, and the Brewers tied it in the fourth when Willy Adames scored after Burnes’ wild throw to first on Brice Turang’s infield single.

Burnes allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in five innings, walking two and striking out five. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he gave the Orioles a gritty effort and a chance to win.

Milwaukee took at 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh when Perkins homered against Yennier Cano (2-1).