O'Neill goes yard in 4th straight game as part of O's 4-homer barrage

BALTIMORE -- The only thing hotter than the weather in Baltimore over the past handful of days has been the Orioles’ offense, which is absolutely scorching -- especially the right-handed bat of slugger Tyler O'Neill.

On a humid 97-degree Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards, O’Neill set a personal record by homering in a fourth consecutive game for the first time in his eight-year MLB career. The 30-year-old outfielder launched a three-run home run during a six-run sixth inning in the Orioles’ 16-4 win over the Blue Jays in Game 1 of a split doubleheader.

Then, Baltimore notched a 3-2 victory in the nightcap, scoring the winning run on Adley Rutschman’s RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Ramón Urías homered twice and Gunnar Henderson also went deep in Game 1 for the O’s (50-58), who have scored 53 runs during their five-game winning streak.

O’Neill homered in all three games of Baltimore’s series win vs. Colorado over the weekend. He was then out of the lineup for Monday’s opener vs. Toronto before returning to action and continuing to torment the Blue Jays, who have given up three of his seven homers this year. His homer streak ended in Tuesday’s Game 2, though he nearly went deep on a ball to left field that went just foul in the fifth inning.

“The people that I know around the league that have had him -- and I talk to people just because there’s been so many ups and downs here with his health and whatnot -- they’ve all told me, ‘When he gets hot, watch out, because he’ll carry the team,’” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “That’s what we’re witnessing right now. It’s pretty neat.”

It had been a slow start to O’Neill’s first season with the Orioles, which has featured two stints on the injured list due to neck and left shoulder injuries. He entered last Thursday with a .177 average and a .583 OPS -- numbers that have increased to .218 and .741, respectively, as the Canadian masher is 9-for-20 (.450) over his past six games.

“I’m just really trusting the pregame prep and working with the hitting [coaches] really hard and stuff. Taken a lot of swings the last couple weeks,” O’Neill said after the first game of his homer streak. “Just trying to figure things out, man. It’s a continuous grind, so hopefully we’re on the right track now.”

O’Neill was the first O’s player with a four-game homer streak since Henderson went deep in four straight from May 17-20, 2024. The team record (since 1954) is six games, shared by Chris Davis (Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2012) and Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson (July 18-23, 1976).

None of O’Neill’s Orioles teammates are surprised by the homer surge.

“We’ve seen him hit like that before, like he did last year with the Red Sox,” Urías said. “That is what he does. He hits for power, and he’s doing it right now.”

Added Ryan O’Hearn: “When he's healthy, he's a game-changer, man.”

Prior to O’Neill’s homer, Baltimore’s first four runs of Game 1 all came on sacrifice flies. The Orioles’ five total sac flies were a club record and tied for the most by an MLB team since sac flies became an official stat in 1954. O’Neill (who finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs) drove in the game’s first run with a sac fly in a two-run first.

The Mariners have twice recorded five sac flies in a game (Aug. 7, 1988, at Oakland and April 15, 2008, vs. the Royals) and the Rockies did it once (June 7, 2006, vs. the Pirates).

The O’s became the first MLB team to record four homers and five sac flies in a game.

Why is the Orioles’ offense suddenly clicking? Urías claims it’s because the team is finally healthier, and it’s hard to argue against that point.

After Rutschman (left oblique strain) returned from the injured list on Monday, the only key Baltimore position player still sidelined is first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who could return from his right hamstring strain next week in Philadelphia.

“The boys are swinging it well, feeling good,” Urías said. “So we’re just carrying the momentum, and we’re just feeling good about each other.”

Although the Orioles are seemingly heating up, they continue to sell ahead of Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline. Seranthony Domínguez became the third player dealt this month (all relievers) when he was sent to the Blue Jays between Tuesday’s games.

For the O’s, there’s disappointment they didn’t play this well early in the season.

“I've thought that this is definitely what it could've been early on, but that's not what happened,” said O’Hearn, a likely trade chip. “I'm happy for guys that are playing well right now, kind of hitting their stride.”