As the Orioles fell behind by four runs Sunday against the Nationals, their lone source of offense was Anthony Santander’s home run in the first inning.
Santander’s home run in the seventh inning tied the game. But the most impressive fact about both home runs is that they came off Max Scherzer.
Both of his long balls weren’t enough, as the Orioles lost 6-5 to the Nationals at Camden Yards and lost the series as a result. But Santander, after Sunday’s performance, is coming onto the scene as one of the best hitters in the American League.
“I was trying to be aggressive in the strike zone,” Santander said after the game via translator. “He’s a pitcher that likes to attack early and often, so I tried to be ready for that. It’s one of those things where you have to ready every single at-bat, every single pitch, and be aggressive with him.”
Let’s try this again...
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✅ MLB-leading 22 RBI
✅ Tied for 4th in the AL with 7 HR
✅ 2nd career multi-HR game https://t.co/bBhcB68piX
As of the completion of the game, which ended around 4:45 pm Sunday, Santander has the MLB lead with 22 RBis, and is tied for fourth in the AL with seven home runs. He’s also on an 11-game hit streak, as the Orioles appear to have found a future stalwart in the lineup.
Santander’s first home run nearly landed on Eutaw Street and had an exit velocity of 104.5 mph. His second home run in the seventh inning went 108.7 mph.
Of the three home runs Scherzer has given up this season in his five outings, Santander has hit two of them.
“I just saw special at-bats last year in the second half,” said manager Brandon Hyde, who has praised Santander since he arrived in Baltimore. “I saw a guy that had that power he showed today. You just don’t see that all the time, especially from a young player, and he’s showing up this year and really swinging the bat well and really driving the baseball.”
After 21 games Santander is batting 23-for-83 at the plate, an average of .277, with seven doubles and a triple to go along with his seven home runs.
He’s been a large part of the Orioles’ surprising season to this point, a consistent bat in the outfield that has provided a spark to one of the better offenses teams in baseball through a third of the season.
“I think it speaks very highly of all of us and the kind of work we’re putting in together every single day,” Santander said. “We’re coming to the ballpark ready to compete and trying to win every single night. I’m very proud of all my teammates and the amount of effort we’re trying to put forward.”
The focus for Santander now is to slowly make better contact and be more selective in his at-bats.
But he showed Sunday that he’s capable of hitting off of anyone in baseball.
“But for me, he’s a hitter first and a power guy second,” Hyde continued. “As he continues to zone in and make correct swing decisions on tough pitches, I think the average is going to go up, the homers are going to go up and the walks are going to go up.”
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