WEST SACRAMENTO -- Growing up in Elk Grove, Calif., Dylan Carlson and his family often made the short drive north to West Sacramento, where they attended games at Sutter Health Park, home of the Sacramento River Cats (then the Triple-A affiliate of the A’s).
Carlson’s mom, Caryn, often got tickets through work. Dylan and his younger brother, Tanner, have memories of watching rehabbing Athletics players -- such as Eric Chavez, Nick Swisher and others -- from the stands.
On Friday, Carlson returned as a big leaguer to the same ballpark, which is temporarily housing the A’s before the club’s eventual move to Las Vegas. The 26-year-old started in left field for the Orioles and played at Sutter Health Park for the first time since he was playing select prep games for Elk Grove High School.
“Grew up coming to this stadium as a kid, sitting right above the first-base dugout, and now, get to be in the first-base dugout playing a game,” Carlson said. “I’d always get balls thrown to me sitting right above the dugout right there. Just good memories like that. Getting to play today, hopefully, I get to make some new ones.”
Oh, he certainly did that.
In his first plate appearance of Baltimore’s series-opening 5-4 loss to the A’s, Carlson launched a two-run home run to left field in the second inning. He smiled after he crossed the plate in front of more than a dozen of his family and friends.
Carlson continued his recent surge for the O’s -- whose season-long six-game winning streak was snapped -- with another strong showing, as he also drew walks in the fourth and eighth.
But the home run will be the moment Carlson remembers the most from his special night.
Batting from the right side, the switch-hitting Carlson pounced on a 1-0 slider from A’s left-hander JP Sears and sent it a Statcast-projected 366 feet over the left-field wall. It marked the first runs of the game, giving the Orioles an early 2-0 lead.
“It was exciting, just to come through for the team in that situation, but also, growing up in this area, coming to games here as a kid,” Carlson said. “It was a pretty cool one.”
Carlson never hit a home run here as a high schooler. And he didn’t exactly dream about hitting future homers in a Triple-A ballpark, considering his goal was the big leagues after he was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft out of high school.
So Friday presented an opportunity Carlson never thought would be possible.
“My parents, I saw them last night, and I was just like, ‘Man, flying into Sacramento to play a game, it just feels weird,’” said Carlson, who now resides in Arizona but frequently visits home. “It was a unique experience, something I’ll remember. You don’t hear it every day, catching fly balls down the line, people yelling out your hometown. That was definitely unique. ...
“At the time [in high school], it was probably the coolest stadium I had ever played in, and then, being in the big leagues a little bit now and then coming back, it’s a different experience. It’s definitely not something I had on my radar.”
No matter where Carlson has been playing of late, he’s been raking. He has solidified himself as a key contributor for Baltimore, which signed him to a one-year deal in January. After starting the season at Triple-A Norfolk, Carlson went 1-for-22 over his first 14 games with the O’s, a stretch that featured two demotions back to Triple-A amid roster crunches.
Since May 24, Carlson is hitting .317 (13-for-41) with three doubles, three homers and nine RBIs over 12 games.
“He’s just a really good player,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “I think when guys have played in the big leagues four, five years and they get sent to Triple-A, there’s a lot of soul searching going on and there’s a lot of looking in the mirror and there’s a lot of things you’ve got to find within yourself. We’re probably getting the results of that right now.
“He’s playing great, he’s gotten an opportunity, there’s confidence and he’s taking advantage of it.”
Eventually, the Orioles will need to make room on their roster for outfielders Cedric Mullins (right hamstring strain) and Tyler O’Neill (left shoulder impingement). So Carlson may need to keep playing well to avoid becoming an odd man out.
For now, Carlson is focusing on ways to “keep it simple.”
“Execute the plan and go up there and help the team, kind of let the situation dictate what I’m trying to do and just execute my plan and pass it along,” Carlson said. “A lot of guys have been taking good at-bats, swinging the bat well, too, in this stretch. Just trying to pass it along to them and turn it over.”