Stop and stare: Jackson Holliday had best reaction to emphatic Orioles grand slam

The Baltimore Orioles fandom was sent into a tizzy on Wednesday afternoon. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning, leading the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 with one out, behind in an 0-2 count, the Orioles witnessed first-hand as Camden Yards erupted.

No, Baltimore is not located on an uncharted fault line. There was no molten rock involved. Rather, Jackson Holliday was back in the MLB, and he hit his first big-league home run in commendably epic fashion.

The 20-year-old second baseman rocketed a two-strike pitch over the right field fence, 109 MPH off the bat, to stretch the O's lead to 8-3. In the process, he sent several Baltimore fans into an all-out scramble to secure what is sure to be a historically significant baseball.

Here's the glorious moment on the Orioles broadcast.

And, here's the close-up on Holliday, who took a moment to soak in his masterwork with a classic stop-and-stare.

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Jackson Holliday rockets grand slam in first game back with Orioles

The Orioles called up Holliday for Wednesday's game to address the ongoing issues at second base. Holliday was in the MLB for a brief 10-game stint earlier in the season, but his struggles at the plate — .059/.111/.059 with five runs and one RBI through 34 AB — necessitated a demotion back to Triple-A Norfolk.

Holliday is absurdly young for an MLB roster, still a few months shy of his 21st birthday. There is natural pressure on him due to the expectations associated with his name and his status as a No. 1 draft pick, but the O's are taking the patient approach. GM Mike Elias did his best to cushion against criticism when the move was announced.

"I think this is a big chance for him, and we're going to give him some time. Hopefully, it's going to be really good. I'm really happy for him and proud of the work that he put in. I don't want to put any pressure on him -- this is a time period where he's got some runway in front of him because of the vacancy that we have at second base right now."

The "vacancy" Elias refers to the impending absence of Jorge Mateo, who was recently transferred to the 60-day IL with a "left elbow subluxation." That gives Holliday ample space to lay claim to second base on a full-time basis. Holliday will need to earn it, but Mateo has been a weak point in the O's lineup all season. Baltimore surely wants its top prospect in the lineup so long as it's prudent.

He's off to a great start. Holliday's talent was never in doubt. Now that he's had time to adjust his approach after his first MLB stint, we could be in for a far more prolific offensive display in the days and weeks to come.

Holliday has been on fans' radar for a while. If he takes off, it's just one more luxury for an Orioles infield that already includes Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg.