BALTIMORE — A large package addressed to Jackson Holliday sat outside the Baltimore Orioles’ clubhouse before their game Saturday afternoon.

Had Brandon Hyde known the powers it contained, he surely would have started the youngster. Or perhaps he did know of the otherworldly abilities its contents bestow upon Holliday, and the Orioles manager was biding his time, waiting for exactly the right moment.

Either way, Holliday came through in the clutch, propelling the Orioles to a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros and adding another chapter to the equally hilarious and mystifying story between baseball’s top prospect and his favorite arcade game. Holliday’s pinch-hit, three-run double in the sixth was enough for starter Albert Suárez and the bullpen to give Baltimore a second straight thrilling victory.

The package contained the Golden Tee Golf arcade game that Holliday frequently played at his home in Oklahoma (yes, the Holliday family has one in their house) and during his time with Triple-A Norfolk. But it wasn’t until the Orioles’ series in Cleveland earlier this month — in which he went 6 for 13 with Golden Tee Golf in the Guardians’ visiting clubhouse — that his relationship and skill at the game gained notoriety.

After his first career two-hit game against Cleveland, Holliday joked that it was because he was playing the arcade game earlier in the day.

“I made a hole-in-one on a par-5 today, so I think that was a guaranteed two hits,” he joked earlier this month. “I’m going to try to do that tomorrow as well,” which he did.

After frequent chatter online about his enjoyment of the game, the Golden Tee Golf company shipped one to Holliday to perhaps play in the Orioles’ clubhouse, and it arrived Saturday.

But recently, the 20-year-old rookie hadn’t been hitting like he was in Cleveland. Amid an 0-for-20 skid, Hyde sat the second baseman against Framber Valdez, one of baseball’s best left-handed starting pitchers.

Stymied for much of the afternoon, the Orioles loaded the bases against Valdez thanks in large part to Colton Cowser hustling down the first base line to beat out a routine grounder. The Astros brought in right-handed reliever Tayler Scott, and Hyde countered by pinch hitting Holliday for newcomer Emmanuel Rivera.

Holliday, powered by the roaring 35,302 fans on their feet at Camden Yards and perhaps the excitement of having Golden Tee back in his life, smoked the first pitch he saw into the right-center field gap to clear the bases.

Holliday is hitting .500 with a whopping 1.445 OPS when in the presence of a Golden Tee, and just .130 with a .425 OPS without it.

The bases-loaded hit was the second in as many days for Baltimore after Anthony Santander’s eighth-inning grand slam lifted the club to a comeback victory Friday night. The Orioles have 28 such wins this season.

Suárez delivered another solid start, allowing two solo home runs in 5 2/3 innings, including a leadoff blast by Jose Altuve that ended the 34-year-old’s scoreless streak at 17 2/3 innings. Relievers Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano and Seranthony Domínguez combined to pitch 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Domínguez earned another save, his second straight after struggling in New York against the Mets.

Baltimore is 76-55 and only a half-game back of the New York Yankees, who lost 9-2 to the Colorado Rockies earlier in the day, for first place in the American League East.

Around the horn

— The club officially inducted three former Orioles into its Hall of Fame before the game: outfielder Nick Markakis, hitting coach Terry Crowley and scout Dick Bowie. Many former Orioles were in attendance, including Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Brian Roberts, Jim Palmer, Al Bumbry, Rick Dempsey and Eddie Murray.

— Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles announced. Zimmermann, a Baltimore-area native, was designated for assignment Thursday.

Astros at Orioles

Sunday, 7:10 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

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