Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Henderson’s torrid start to June continued on Sunday
As the weather is heating up, so is Gunnar Henderson’s bat.
After the Baltimore Orioles infielder got off to a slow start this season, batting just .197 for the month of April and then .213 for the month of May, Henderson has found his swing in June. Entering Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals, Henderson was 8-for-19 on the month, good for a .421 batting average.
In addition, after hitting just two home runs in the month of April and three in May, Henderson entered Sunday with three home runs in June alone.
Over his last seven days alone, Henderson is 7-for-14 with a pair of home runs. And on Saturday against the Royals, Henderson went 2-for-5 with a home run, raising his average to .225 on the season.
Sunday is only going to add to his torrid stretch.
Henderson went 3-for-5 in Baltimore’s 11-3 win over Kansas City, with a double and his ninth home run of the season. That blast, which came in the seventh inning, might not have landed yet:
Henderson got a slider down and in on a 3-2 count, and absolutely jumped on it, sending a deep blast towards The Warehouse and Eutaw Street. According to Baseball Savant, the blast clocked in at 113.8 mph off the bat, and measured 462 feet.
That’s where the history part comes in.
According to Andy Kostka, who covers the Orioles for The Baltimore Banner, Henderson’s blast is now the longest home run to reach Eutaw Street in the history of Camden Yard
Gunnar Henderson’s 462-foot Eutaw Street homer, which hit the street then hit the warehouse, is the longest homer to reach Eutaw Street in the history of Camden Yards pic.twitter.com/i1dG1JQfaH
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) June 11, 2023
With the victory, the Orioles improved to 41-24 on the season, good for second place in the AL East. But with their young core of talent, including Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman, this could be the start of something special in the Inner Harbor.
Oh, and if you’re wondering when it might be a good time to get to Camden Yards to see the Orioles? Maybe at the end of the month, when the Cincinnati Reds — and their electric young infielder Elly De La Cruz — come to town.
