Orioles hit three home runs and get quality start from Sugano to win first series (updated)

The music wasn't louder than usual and the strobe lights didn't shine brighter. The Orioles treated tonight’s game like the 18^th out of 162, with the mood leaning much more toward reserved than raucous.

They can go through their victory routine and maintain their perspective, but they’ve certainly earned the right to celebrate.

After all, they finally won back-to-back games and a series. Never sneeze at the small gains. And never forget that Tomoyuki Sugano was given $13 million to come to the U.S. for a reason.

Gunnar Henderson, Ryan O’Hearn and Heston Kjerstad homered, and Sugano became the first Orioles starter to work into the seventh inning in a 6-2 victory over the Guardians before an announced crowd of 16,201 at Camden Yards.

Sugano allowed two runs and five hits with no walks over seven innings, and the Orioles improved to 8-10. He threw 87 pitches, 55 for strikes, and received a nice ovation as he walked off the mound for the last time.

Zach Eflin completed six innings in three starts before going on the injured list with a lat strain. Cade Povich made it through the sixth on April 6 in Kansas City. Sugano's pitch count was only 66 through the fifth and 76 after the sixth.

“Just so efficient in seven innings," said manager Brandon Hyde. "I thought he mixed speeds extremely well. Off-speed stuff was commanded well. I thought we played good defense. I thought he stepped on his heater when he needed to. Just pitched really effectively for seven innings and it was great to see a starter go that deep into the game and keep his pitch count down. I thought he was fantastic.”

Sugano’s ERA is down to 3.43 after four major league starts. Tonight was his first major league outing on four days’ rest.

"It’s only one game that I’ve been able to pitch like this, so I have to keep accumulating these outings," Sugano said via interpreter Yuto Sakurai.

"I went into the game really prepared today. Last outing, I didn’t really throw that many pitches. It was just normal."

O’Hearn hit a three-run homer off Tanner Bibee in the third inning to give the Orioles a 4-2 lead, and he singled later in the game. He reached the flag court last night in the eighth inning.

Tonight’s ball bounced onto the field and O’Hearn paused at second base before heading home. The Guardians challenged the call but O’Hearn already drank from the hydration station. That makes it official in Baltimore.

“I wasn’t sure," O'Hearn said. "I don’t know what the rule is. If it gets over the padding, is it a homer? If it gets over that second wall, is it a homer? I don’t know. I’m just glad it was a home run and thought for a minute, when they reviewed it pretty much immediately, I thought, ‘Uh oh, maybe it didn’t get over.’ But very happy it did.”

Henderson, who hadn’t hit second since 2023, homered and doubled to left field in his first two at-bats. He didn’t have an RBI before tonight, but he lined a fastball 393 feet at 109.4 mph off the bat.

"Any time Gunny is hitting the ball with authority like that to left field, I think that’s a great sign for us," O'Hearn said. "He’s smashing fastballs to left field, he’s really good at staying on off-speed pitches and spin in the middle of the plate, and start to hit homers to right field. Gunnar is obviously who he is. He’s going to be good. And a couple good swings tonight gets him feeling good and getting in the right direction. And once he gets hot, watch out.”

The double came after Ramón Urías led off the inning with a walk. Urías held at third base, perhaps getting a poor read, and catcher Austin Hedges picked him off, but Adley Rutschman walked and O’Hearn tattooed a fastball.

Cedric Mullins walked with one out in the fifth and Bibee picked him off. The win didn’t come without a few mishaps. But it was a win nonetheless.

"Just good to be able to come out with a series win," Henderson said. "Been kind of not playing our best, but just got to keep fighting and keep winning these games and get it going."

"Huge," O'Hearn said. "Get that first series win. We look at this thing in chunks, in series. First series win is a big deal and I think we’re going to build off that. Another team coming in tomorrow, a chance to win another series. That’s kind of how we look at it. Today was a big day.”

Kjerstad was the final batter for Bibee in the sixth. He crushed a changeup with Jordan Westburg on base, sending it 400 feet to right-center at 105.6 mph for a 6-2 lead.

“I think he’s getting more comfortable," Hyde said. "He turned around that changeup. You know the power is there. Doesn’t have a ton of major league hits. That was a huge, huge hit at the time to kind of give us a bit of breathing room where I don’t need to bring a bullpen guy in when somebody gets on right away, that kind of thing, to try to keep the game close.

"The four-run lead there was huge. Happy for Heston. Heston got a couple of home runs this week. Hopefully, boosts his confidence.”

Dean Kremer retired the first six batters last night before Gabriel Arias homered. Sugano retired the first six tonight before surrendering back-to-back homers to Daniel Schneemann and Hedges.

Schneemann connected on a 90.6 mph fastball - Mullins coming within inches of a spectacular catch. Hedges barreled a splitter, sending the ninth pitch of the at-bat 394 feet to left. Sugano struck out leadoff hitter Steven Kwan with the split and induced a weak ground ball from Carlos Santana in the first inning.

Sugano retired 14 of his last 17 batters.

"I thought he was great," O'Hearn said. "He threw a ton of strikes. Seemed like they were off balance. He was throwing all his pitches for strikes, and against a good lineup that doesn’t strike out a lot, puts the ball in play, very impressed with him and gave us a great chance to win.”

This is exactly how Sugano was advertised and what made him one of the most decorated pitchers in Japan.

"Yeah, what we saw in spring training, too, was a guy who has command of multiple pitches with a good split-finger," Hyde said. "Fastball’s got some life to it when it’s backed up behind the off-speed stuff. He’s got a feel for the cutter, the breaking ball, and he doesn’t walk people.”

Kjerstad drew his first walk of the season with one out in the second inning and was stranded. Plate umpire Ryan Additon’s called third strike on Jackson Holliday came on a pitch that missed high.

The Reds are starting left-handers in two of the next three games, leaving the Orioles to decide whether Kjerstad and Holliday, who lined a single into left field in the seventh and was caught stealing, remain in the lineup or step aside for right-handed bats.

Henderson could stick in the second spot if he doesn’t return to his leadoff role. Manager Brandon Hyde said he wanted to slow down the game for Henderson, let him watch an at-bat before taking his turn.

“I talked to him a little bit about kind of what I was thinking, and he shared that a little bit jumpy at the plate and just get him to kind of get in the flow of the game maybe a little bit. I think that might be helpful," Hyde said. "You saw Ced work walks, and when you get traffic in front of Gunnar, you’re in good shape.”

"Just didn’t have to rush in," Henderson said, "was able to take a breath and kind of feel comfortable in the box."

Hyde had Félix Bautista warm last night but didn't use him. Bautista pitched the ninth tonight, minus the light show in recognition of "Autism Acceptance Night," and stranded two runners after a single and walk. He struck out Lane Thomas and Schneemann on splitters.

“I feel like it’s been a long time since a series win," Hyde said. "It’s a lot more fun. Really happy with how our team played. We made a few mistakes. We pitched really well. Our bullpen was fantastic.

"Bautista was up last night and goes in the game, gets out of a little bit of a jam, kind of checked the boxes there because his stuff was really good. I think he hit 98 on the board a couple of times."

* Jordan Westburg went 0-for-4 and is hitless in his last 24 at-bats.