Jeremiah Jackson Just Became the Orioles' Unlikely Hero After His Line Drive Broke His Manager's Jaw

Talk about redemption. Jeremiah Jackson hit the foul ball that sent Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz to the hospital with a broken jaw and seven facial fractures on Monday. Three days later, Jackson made everyone forget about that nightmare by cranking a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning Friday night to lift the Orioles over the Cleveland Guardians 6-4 at Progressive Field.

The timing was almost too perfect. Jackson's blast came off reliever Connor Brogdon and capped a stunning comeback after Cleveland had taken a 4-0 lead in the seventh on Daniel Schneemann's grand slam. Sacrifice fly from Johnathan Rodriguez and a two-run double from pinch hitter Weston Wilson got the Orioles close, then Jackson delivered the dagger. The win made Baltimore the first team in MLB history to give up a grand slam in the seventh inning or later to break up a scoreless game, then come back to win it.

Jackson Is Having a Legitimately Bizarre Season

Here's the wild part: this is Jackson's first year making the team out of spring training, and he's been an absolute force. The 26-year-old is batting .317 with five homers and 17 RBIs through 18 games. He's ranking among American League leaders in multiple categories. Oh, and he's done all this without drawing a single walk in 62 plate appearances. Not one.

"For me, it's just about making the most of opportunities, whether it's pinch hitting or starting," Jackson said after Friday's win. "To get the chance to come up and hit in that situation, I give credit to the guys in front of me."

The three-run homer wasn't even his biggest moment this week. Monday night, Jackson hit two home runs including his first grand slam and drove in five runs in a 9-7 victory over Arizona. That slam? It came shortly after the line drive that nailed Albernaz in the face.

Albernaz Is Hurting, But He's Still in the Dugout

Cameras caught the first-year skipper yelling in celebration after Jackson's homer Friday, then visibly clutching his face in pain for the rest of the game. He's able to speak clearly now, but soft foods and liquids are all he can handle. Even so, Albernaz showed up and showed support.

"When I got hit on the jaw and JJ did his thing, that was pretty big, but I wasn't there to see it," Albernaz said with a forced smile. "The impressive thing today was his previous at-bats weren't the best, but he got a good pitch to hit, and did what JJ does and put a good swing on it."

The Guardians take on the Orioles again Saturday evening, with Dean Kremer (0-0, 3.60 ERA) facing off against Cleveland's Gavin Williams (2-1, 2.38 ERA). Cleveland grabbed the opener 4-2 on Thursday. This four-game series is far from over.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.