The Orioles entered Saturday’s game one big swing away from a mark that they’ve never touched. Anthony Santander delivered the blow, clubbing a 440-foot solo shot in the second inning that knotted the score with the Texas Rangers at one apiece.

Santander’s blast was the Orioles’ 59th home run in June, surpassing the 58 they hit in May 1987 for their most in a single month in franchise history, and one of two homers that pushed Baltimore to a 6-5 win over Texas on Saturday.

The Orioles finished June with a dud, failing to add to that total in an 11-2 loss to the Rangers on “Sunday Night Baseball” to finish the month third on MLB’s all-time list for most homers in a month with 60. Only the New York Yankees in August 2019 (71 homers) and the Atlanta Braves in June 2023 (61) hit more in a single month.

“We’re leading the league in homers because we have a ton of guys who have a ton of power,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Our hitting coaches are doing a great job of really preaching getting the ball in the strike zone, and we’re taking good swings.”

Heston Kjerstad hit the Orioles’ 60th home run — and fifth grand slam — of the season to slingshot Baltimore in front three innings after Santander’s blast. With two outs in the fifth and after Rangers starter Michael Lorenzen loaded the bases with two walks following Gunnar Henderson’s double, Kjerstad reared back and unloaded on the third pitch he saw.

Lorenzen’s inside cutter left Kjerstad’s bat at 105 mph and squeaked over the center field wall to send the sold-out Camden Yards crowd into a frenzy. With it, Baltimore became the third team in MLB history to hit 60 home runs in a single month.

Kjerstad, who was recalled June 24, already has two homers in just six games back in the majors.

“I just want to keep it rolling,” the outfielder said after Saturday’s win. “That’s the type of player I am and that’s the type of player I want to be.”

The Orioles enter July leading MLB in home runs this season with 139, 16 more than the second-place Yankees. Baltimore is on pace to shatter its franchise record for homers in a season of 257 set in 1997.

Santander and Henderson were at the center of the Orioles’ June power surge. Santander’s blast Saturday was his 22nd of the season and 13th of the month, which also broke the franchise record for home runs by a single player in June and tied for third-most by a player in any month in Orioles history. Henderson had eight blasts in the month and has 26 on the season, tied for second most in MLB behind New York’s Aaron Judge.

Colton Cowser, who’s seemingly ended his nearly two-month slump last week, hit five homers in June. Ryan Mountcastle, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg — all All-Star finalists — also added five blasts. Nine other players hit at least one.

Kjerstad’s grand slam drew screams for a curtain call from the home crowd. Kjerstad was late to realize the request. He first gave a wave when flashed on the Camden Yards video board, then finally left the dugout and tipped his cap after teammates told him what the crowd truly wanted.

“He was late with that curtain call,” Hyde joked. “We’ve got to work on that. That was 5 seconds too late and then it lost its luster.”