Nicole Rivera of Sykesville, the first Home Run Riches winner, secured a $5,500 prize by being an Orioles grand slam contestant over the weekend. Rivera, a Carroll County resident, received $500 for her selection as a Contestant of the Game and was in line to win more if the Orioles hit any home runs in her designated game on Friday. As luck would have it, Catcher Adley Rutschman’s grand slam brought home an additional $5,000 for Rivera, totaling her winnings to $5,500 from the Lottery’s popular FAST PLAY Home Run Riches Bases Loaded second-chance promotion.
The 35-year-old Rivera, after years of participating in the Lottery’s second-chance promotions, finally struck gold with this new twist. The exhilarating moment came during the Orioles vs. Kansas City Royals game where the bases loaded in the top of the seventh and Rutschman’s powerful 385-foot grand slam stole the show, leading to joyous celebrations for Rivera, her husband, and daughter. The introduction of the grand slam twist to the 2024 Home Run Riches promotion has added an exciting dynamic for Contestants of the Game during the Orioles’ 162 regular-season games.
The promotion awards $500 for each home run hit by the Orioles in the designated game, along with a $5,000 prize for a grand slam. Since the season began, the promotion has already showered winners with $34,500 from the Orioles’ 35 home runs.