Pete Alonso hit a go-ahead two-run homer run in the seventh inning, Jeremiah Jackson smacked two homers and drove in five runs and the Baltimore Orioles rallied from a six-run deficit to stun the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7 on Monday in the series opener.
The Orioles trailed 7-1 going to the bottom of the sixth inning, when Leody Taveras’ RBI single and Jackson’s grand slam closed the gap to 7-6. Alonso’s second homer with Baltimore gave the Orioles the lead for the first time, and Jackson added his second long ball in the eighth.
Baltimore’s rally wiped out the impact of two-homer games from Diamondbacks Ketel Marte and Nolan Arenado, who had a five-RBI night.
Marte hit the game’s first pitch for a homer off Baltimore starter Dean Kremer and added his second blast off Kremer in the third inning, another solo shot.
Arenado’s homers came in the fourth inning, a two-run blast, and the sixth, a three-run shot.
The Orioles totaled eight hits and four walks while stretching their winning streak to three games and prevailing for the sixth time in seven games. Gunnar Henderson had a run-scoring triple for Baltimore, which produced its largest run total of the season.
Albert Suarez (1-0) was the winning pitcher despite giving up three runs on four hits in two innings. Ryan Helsley struck out two in a perfect ninth inning, registering his fifth save.
Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson was in the line to be the winner after logging 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Jonathan Loaisiga (0-1) allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning for Arizona, which entered the contest with victories in four of its previous five games.
Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas and Jorge Barrosa both went 2-for-4 with a double.
Kremer gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits in five innings. He fanned nine without walking a batter.
