Jackson Holliday, O's return home to face Brewers

The majors' top-rated prospect makes his home debut Friday when the Baltimore Orioles host the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a three-game series.

Twenty-year-old Baltimore second baseman Jackson Holliday made his major league debut Wednesday in Boston, going 0-for-4 with an RBI. He followed that up with another 0-for-4 on Thursday, but he scored two runs as the Orioles completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox with a 9-4, 10-inning win.

"He's going to put the bat on the ball," teammate Gunnar Henderson said of Holliday. "He's got really elite bat-on-ball skills and getting on base a lot. I feel like that's what he's done throughout his whole career and looking forward to doing that up here and seeing what he can do."

Holliday made several strong defensive plays on Thursday, one in which he backhanded a ground ball on the shortstop side of second and fired a strike to first base to get Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill.

Holliday won't be the only top prospect at Camden Yards on Friday. Jackson Chourio, a 20-year-old who was rated the No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, figures to be in right field for Milwaukee. It will be their first matchup of what could be many.

"I think it's awesome," Chourio said, according to MLB.com. "This is what both of us have worked for, what both of us have dreamed of. Hopefully, we're both able to go out and have very long careers."

Through 10 games, Chourio is batting .282 with a .326 on-base percentage, two homers, nine RBIs and two stolen bases while receiving solid support from Brewers veterans and new manager Pat Murphy.

"Encouragement always works," Murphy said, according to Yahoo Sports. "I think that's the key, that Jackson believes when we tell him, 'Hey, we believe in you, man. We really do, and we're here for you.'"

The Brewers' series finale with the Cincinnati Reds was rained out on Thursday, so right-hander Freddy Peralta (1-0, 3.09 ERA) will pitch Friday instead. He will oppose Baltimore right-hander Tyler Wells (0-1, 4.76).

In his latest outing, Peralta went 5 2/3 innings and got a no-decision against the Seattle Mariners on April 5. He allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out seven. Peralta held Seattle scoreless for the first five innings.

Peralta has faced the Orioles only once in his career, when he yielded two runs in five innings during a no-decision on June 6, 2023.

Wells allowed three runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings and got a no-decision against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday in his latest start. He struck out three and walked two. Wells has never faced the Brewers.

On Thursday night, Baltimore's Colton Cowser hit the first two homers of his major league career, including a three-run shot in the 10th inning as the Orioles rallied for the win. Henderson gave Baltimore the lead with a two-run shot in the 10th.

Cowser, 24, collected six hits and drove in 10 runs in the three-game series at Boston. He hit .115 in 61 at-bats for the Orioles last season. It is very early, but he is hitting .458 through 24 at-bats in 2024.

"This year (I'm) trying to be a little more confident regardless of what happens," Cowser said. "Whether I go 0-for-4 or 4-for-4, I want to forget about it that night and then go in the next day with the same mentality."