Baker battling for one of the last bullpen spots, Irvin battling sudden command issues

SARASOTA, Fla. – The second day after an appearance is usually when the soreness creeps in with reliever Bryan Baker. Nothing that he can’t manage, of course. It comes with the chosen profession, but he feels it. And this is why he’s looking forward to pitching on back-to-back days as the final ramp up for Opening Day.

Baker doesn’t know whether he’ll make the roster, but at least he’ll be ready.

The outings haven’t all been clean, but Baker’s logged six innings without surrendering an earned run. He’s allowed only two hits and struck out eight batters, but also walked four and hit one. Opponents are batting .095.

Baker has one minor league option left and the Orioles could decide to use it. Six of the eight spots appear secure with Craig Kimbrel, Yennier Cano, Cionel Pérez, Danny Coulombe, Mike Baumann and Dillon Tate. Keegan Akin is looking more like a lock with his 7 1/3 scoreless innings, one hit allowed and 10 strikeouts.

The Orioles could break with nine relievers and only four starters because of the five off-days before the beginning of May. Whatever the configuration, Baker is battling to avoid an option to Triple-A Norfolk and feeling that he’s done everything he could “for the most part.”

“Most of the guys have enough outings under their belt this spring,” he said. “I know they don’t go off just your spring, they go off last year, too. For me, I don’t feel like there’s much else for me to do.”

Baker posted a 3.60 ERA in 46 games last season, 20 fewer than 2022, but the Orioles optioned him Aug. 2 after trading for Jack Flaherty. They recalled him for only two days in September but put him on their Division Series roster.

The last 2023 image is Baker walking the bases loaded in Game 2 and Jacob Webb surrendering a grand slam. He hadn’t issued three walks in 113 major league appearances.

That isn’t the Bryan Baker who broke camp and has worked in high leverage situations. And maybe he’ll do it again after the Orioles leave Sarasota behind.

Baker knows it’s a crowded field of competitors and won’t obsess over their stats and the impact on his chances. There’s no benefit to it. Put on blinders, with maybe just a little peeking.

“I don’t really pay much attention to much else,” he said. “Whatever games I’m at, I’m watching, but other than that, I’m not really. I’ll ask guys how they did the next day. We all like to pick our brains to see what we’re working on and what we can improve on and little tips here and there to help each other out, but I don’t pay too close attention to the specifics of everything. Just try to focus on what I’m doing and keep getting one out at a time. That’s the main thing.”

If there’s a difference in Baker from last spring to this one, it’s the feeling that his own stats could matter more, that they could keep him in major league camp as cuts are made.

“This year I wanted to kind of get a little more, not necessarily results-focused, but I wanted to make sure I put up some zeroes,” he said. “Last year I felt like I was working on more stuff. This year it’s more fine-tuning a few things, making sure I’m filling up the zone, getting in better counts and really just mixing and matching a lot. Where last year, I think during some outings I’d probably be stubborn and try to force in a certain pitch that I just wanted to throw just to get reps with, as opposed to throwing the correct pitch in the correct time.

“I think the pitch clock, for me at least last year, had a lot to do with that in terms of getting rushed in your process and not really throwing what you wanted to throw, as opposed to looking up and seeing, ‘Oh wow, I have three seconds, I’ve got to throw whatever he calls pretty much.’ That process, being a little more cognizant of that, and throwing the right pitch at the right time is what I’ve been focusing on now.”

The clock is reduced from 20 to 18 seconds this year with runners on base. Even less time to collect his thoughts.

“I think it’s just the focus, it’s got to come in. And conditioning does, too, because the less tired you get, the more concentration you still have to kind of have the wherewithal to be like, ‘OK, I know I don’t need to throw this pitch. I need to throw this pitch in this spot,’” Baker said.

“I think I came in in better shape and making a little bit smarter choices on the mound.”

The next chance is coming soon since Baker tossed a scoreless and hitless inning Sunday in Lakeland. The minor aches will be gone. He’s hoping to be one of the relievers who stays.

* Cole Irvin has never walked five batters in a game as a professional, but it happened yesterday in 3 2/3 innings in Dunedin. And it was a continuation of the lost command that led to four walks in his previous start in 3 2/3 against the Braves.

He’s also been charged with 10 runs in that span, but it’s the walks that jump off the stats page.

“My pitch count got up a little bit early and maybe I was a little fatigue or something,” he said, “but I’d rather do that right now and make the adjustments, and then going into the season we’re good.”

Irvin noted how he only allowed three hits yesterday, offering the scoreboard as proof, but the walks were the “tale of the story.”

“Just some more stuff to work on,” he said. “I wasn’t as fine at commanding the zone. Kind of a mixed bag today, but all in all, I feel pretty confident that I made the right adjustment in the game to get back on track.

“Just a body adjustment, staying more in line with the plate. Adley (Rutschman) and I were trying a couple different sequences and a couple different things there the first two innings, and then we just got back to attacking and doing what we would do in the regular season.

Irvin was expected to be the fourth or fifth starter entering camp with Kyle Bradish and John Means subtracted from the rotation. Tyler Wells has allowed only two runs, walked one batter and struck out seven in 10 2/3 innings.

Asked whether his entire spring body of works shows that he should be in the rotation, Irvin said, “Yeah. I mean, I’m ready to go.

“I think early in camp I was trying to show the team that I was ready to start and throwing harder. Today I just wanted to get back to pitching, not focus on velo. I just wanted to move the ball in and out, get back to good locations. May have nibbled a little bit too much with the walks, but all in all I think we’re going to piece it together. I’m not worried at all.”