Raymond Mitchell of Germantown told all of his friends to watch the Orioles game after he was selected Contestant of the Game. He was not disappointed as he won $6,500.
Contestant of the Game gets $5,000 for grand slam
Raymond Mitchell of Germantown was watching the Orioles game with excitement on April 16, as he won $6,500 as the the Home Run Riches Contestant of the Game.
He received a good chunk of his prize when Jackson Holliday hit a grand slam for the Orioles, giving Raymond $5,000. It was the first grand slam of 2025 for a Baltimore Orioles player, but not the first time that Holliday has helped a Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game win big. When the Baltimore second baseman hit his first career home run last season it was also a grand slam, on a day when a Glen Burnie man won $6,000.
Contestants of the Game receive $500 for being selected, and $500 for each home run the Orioles hit, unless the homer is a grand slam, which pays $5,000.
“I was cheering and yelled out, ‘that young man just won me $5,000!’ He is the guy for grand slams,” Raymond said.
The Montgomery County resident said he plays Home Run Riches Walk-Off Winnings so he can enter into the Contestant of the Game Promotion. When he received the call that he had been selected and was assigned to the April 16 game against the Cleveland Guardians, Raymond told all of his friends to watch the game and to root for home runs. He posted about being the Contestant of the Game on social media and used the hashtag #grandslam before the game.
The 62-year-old was watching in the second inning and saw multiple Orioles getting on base. Then Holliday came to the plate with the bases loaded and blasted a homer off Cleveland pitcher Gavin Williams. Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano also hit homers in the game, bringing Raymond’s total to $6,500 in prizes.
The federal worker is no stranger to the contest. He was selected for a 2024 game and won $2,000 after the Orioles hit three home runs during that game. Raymond said he plans to keep entering and hopes to be selected again.
“To see your name on TV for being selected as a Contestant of the Game was cool,” Raymond added.
There are plenty of chances left to become a Contestant of the Game. Enter winning and non-winning FAST PLAY Home Run Riches Walk-Off Winnings tickets into your My Lottery Rewards Account to take part in the second-chance promotion. The $5 ticket features instant-win prizes ranging from $5 to $5,000 and a progressive jackpot top prize that starts at $40,000 and increases with the sale of each ticket until a progressive jackpot-winner is sold.
Contestant of the Game winners are randomly selected in monthly drawings throughout the baseball season, with one Contestant picked for each of the Orioles’ 162 regular season games.
Remaining drawings are scheduled April 22, May 27, June 24, July 29 and Aug. 26. Visit the My Lottery Rewards page and click Register to set up an account and start entering tickets.
