Pete Alonso Crushes 30th Homer as Orioles Rally Past Rays

Two nights after Pete Alonso thought he had reached the 30-home run mark before a towering drive was ruled foul and the call survived a review, the Orioles slugger left no doubt this time.

Alonso delivered his 30th home run of the season in a big moment Friday night, launching a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning as the Baltimore Orioles rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the series opener at Camden Yards.

The homer came with Baltimore trailing 3-2. After Jackson Holliday tied the game with a sacrifice fly, Alonso followed with a powerful blast to put the Orioles ahead.

The home run traveled a Statcast-projected 443 feet into deep left-center field, making it Alonso’s longest homer of the season. His previous best was a 439-foot shot against the Seattle Mariners on June 11.

Alonso has enjoyed an impressive first season in Baltimore after signing a five-year, $155 million contract during the offseason. The 31-year-old slugger became only the fourth free-agent signing in Orioles history to hit at least 30 home runs in his first season with the club.

He joins Albert Belle, who hit 37 homers in 1999, Miguel Tejada, who hit 34 in 2004, and Nelson Cruz, who finished with 40 in 2014.

The fifth inning also featured a controversial umpiring decision. With runners on the corners and no outs against Rays starter Freddy Peralta, Jackson Holliday appeared to strike out on a check swing. However, third-base umpire Dillon Wilson ruled that Holliday had held up his swing.

Rays manager Kevin Cash strongly disagreed with the decision and was ejected after arguing with the umpire. Holliday then returned to the batter’s box and tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center field before Alonso gave Baltimore the lead with his two-run homer.

Alonso also played an important role earlier in the game. His RBI single in the first inning got Baltimore on the scoreboard and extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games.

During that 13-game streak, Alonso is batting .480, going 24-for-50 with two doubles, seven home runs and 14 RBIs.

With his 30th homer, a season-long 443-foot blast and a career-best hitting streak, Alonso continues to make a major impact during his first season with Baltimore.