Boos echoed through Petco Park after Baltimore Orioles catcher Alex Jackson deposited a home run to center field. They came from disgruntled San Diego Padres fans who had just watched the Orioles go back-to-back-to-back during Wednesday’s series finale.
The three consecutive homers were part of a six-run third inning for the Orioles, AL East bottom-dwellers who were the latest thorn in the Padres’ side.
With a 7-5 win, Baltimore swept San Diego, which is now 2-8 in its last 10 games and 3 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
As for Baltimore’s power surge, it delivered a trio of 400-plus-foot home runs.
Outfielder Colton Cowser kicked things off with a 420-foot, three-run dinger to right-center field. Then first baseman Coby Mayo cranked a 401-foot homer to center. Jackson joined the fun the very next pitch, taking a four-seam fastball high in the zone for a 406-foot ride.
That marked the end of Nestor Cortés Jr.’s day on the mound, as well as the third time this season that the lefty has allowed three home runs in an inning.
Cortés, who started 2025 with Milwaukee before being traded to San Diego on July 31, has now given up 13 home runs in 34 1/3 innings pitched this season.
What’s particularly noteworthy about Baltimore’s third-inning barrage is that it came from the six, seven and eight hitters in Wednesday’s lineup. Not one of them has a batting average north of .250, and they entered the series finale with a combined 22 big flies.
While Jackson’s homer chased Cortés, Baltimore wasn’t finished scoring that inning. It had one more run in store for the Padres. After Sean Reynolds issued back-to-back walks, Orioles shortstop Luis Vázquez advanced to third on a foul out. From there, he scored on a single to right by Ryan Mountcastle. That pushed Baltimore’s lead to 7-0.
Second baseman Jackson Holliday’s leadoff homer got the Orioles on the board first Wednesday, and it was a good omen for a raking Baltimore lineup in San Diego.
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