The Baltimore Orioles officially secured a spot in the playoffs after a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees, and the celebrations began immediately.
Baltimore exploded bottles of champagne in the visitors’ locker room at Yankee Stadium to celebrate a successful regular season.
Well, almost everyone was popping the champagne, because 20-year-old Jackson Holliday is just under the legal drinking age.
When he arrived at the locker room, he was greeted with bottles of non-alcoholic bubbly marked “Baby Bird Bath Water” and a sign that read “Baby’s First Clinch-mas 2024.”
The Orioles rookie has had a tumultuous season with Baltimore, but will have a big impact in the final phase.
Baltimore Orioles rookie Jackson Holliday, 20, enjoyed an alcohol-free lineup to celebrate reaching the postseason while the rest of his teammates popped open champagne
Holliday saw a sign that read “Baby’s First Clinchmas” with bottles of sparkling water
Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star and 2011 World Series winner Matt Holliday, was not on Baltimore’s Opening Day roster this season.
However, he did make his Major League debut in early April.
Unfortunately for him, he struggled in his first ten games, scoring 2 out of 34, but was then sent back to the minor leagues.
But in July, he was back in Baltimore, hitting his first MLB home run in his first game back for the O’s. Overall, he’s hitting .169/.227/.290 with five homers and 23 RBI in just 56 major-league games this season.
Baltimore is still technically in contention with the Yankees for the American League East title.
But since they are five games behind with five games left in the season, it’s more likely they enter the playoffs as the top Wild Card in the AL.