Sugano satisfied with first spring start (plus other notes from today's 7-3 loss)

BRADENTON, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde offered simple instructions this morning for Tomoyuki Sugano before the Japanese right-hander’s much-anticipated exhibition debut. Just go out, relax and pitch.

Keep it simple, Sugano.

“It’s a first spring training outing, so it doesn’t mean anything,” Hyde explained. “Just want him to get his work in.”

The Orioles hoped that Sugano would throw 35-40 pitches. He needed only six to complete the first, all of them strikes, but was extended to 22 in the second while escaping a two-out jam.

Tommy Pham led off the bottom of the first with a broken-bat infield single, but Bryan Reynolds grounded into a 4-6-3 double play started by Jackson Holliday. Sugano retired the first two batters in the second before former Oriole Adam Frazier singled and Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked. Holliday ranged to his left to field Darick Hall’s bouncer with the count full.

Seventeen of Sugano’s 28 pitches were strikes. Here they are, per Statcast data:

First inning:
91.7 mph four-seam fastball
86.9 mph cutter
90.8 mph four-seam
86.9 mph cutter
84.8 mph changeup
90.9 mph sinker

Second inning:
92.8 mph four-seam
75.2 mph curveball
87.2 mph cutter
76.7 mph curveball
76 mph curveball
74.2 mph curveball
85.2 mph cutter
85.4 mph changeup
86.4 mph changeup
86.8 mph cutter
85.7 mph cutter
92.1 mph four-seam
91.3 mph sinker
81.5 mph sweeper
92.8 mph sinker
79.3 mph curveball
86.3 mph changeup
85.2 mph changeup
86.1 mph changeup
92 mph four-seam
87.2 mph changeup
93 mph four-seam

“Especially the second inning, I was able to work on things,” Sugano said via interpreter Yuto Sakurai. “The first inning, it was a quick inning, but overall it was a good outing.

“I enjoyed it a lot.”

Andrew McCutchen grounded out to end the first inning. They faced each other in the semifinals of the 2017 World Baseball Classic and McCutchen went 1-for-2 with a groundout and run-scoring single.

“It was somewhat nostalgic,” Sugano said.

Sugano said the second inning was mainly about getting comfortable with PitchCom, the pitch clock and his communication with catcher Gary Sánchez. He also used PitchCom in live batting practice.

“Just the overall environment I was working on,” he said.

Sugano threw to Sánchez in a bullpen session in Sarasota and worked with him again today.

“We’ve been having great communication during the spring,” Sugano said. “Today before the game and during the game, we talked a lot. I think overall we’ve been having good communication.”

Sugano also said he wants to work on pitch sequencing in his next outing. He smiled and replied “no” when asked in English whether he was nervous. He didn’t need that question interpreted.

* Matt Gorski has three spring home runs, all of them against the Orioles. He delivered a tie-breaking, two-run shot off Matt Bowman in the bottom of the sixth. Gorski also had a sacrifice fly off Rodolfo Martinez in the eighth. … Martinez allowed two runs. … Liván Soto walked in the seventh, Terrin Vavra singled and Samuel Basallo came through with a sacrifice fly. But the Pirates got the run back in the bottom half against Corbin Martin. … Soto broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning with a double after Dylan Carlson walked and Emmanuel Rivera singled. … Soto made a diving stop to rob Ke’Bryan Hayes and record the force at second base in the bottom of the fifth as the tying run scored. Bryan Reynolds had reached on Jackson Holliday’s fielding error. … Kade Strowd recorded only two outs in the fifth and was removed after reaching his pitch count. He was charged with a second run on Gerald Ogando’s bases-loaded wild pitch. … Dylan Carlson re-tied the game in the sixth on an RBI single. … Holliday drew a six-pitch leadoff walk in the first inning. … Heston Kjerstad went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts . … Andrew Kittredge allowed two singles and walked a batter with one out in the third inning but escaped the jam. … Luis González issued back-to-back, two-out walks in the fourth but retired Pham on a fly ball.

* Former Orioles J.J. Hardy, Brian Roberts and Adam Jones are in camp today as guest instructors. Hardy is finishing his last day, Roberts is done Thursday and Jones remains through March 7. Al Bumbry arrives March 4, two days before John Shelby and Nick Markakis. The outfielders get their turns.

Roberts lives in Sarasota and accepted the club’s offer for a third consecutive spring.

“I have enjoyed it a lot the last couple years,” he said. “Obviously, when you have the kind of talent that’s here, it’s fun just to be around that kind of ability. It doesn’t get a whole lot better than this young core anywhere in the game. But the way they are as people is, honestly, better than they are as players.

“And that’s the cool part is that, we’re sitting out there with Gunnar (Henderson) today and he doesn’t need to listen to any of us, technically. He could be like, ‘Go jump in the water, I couldn’t care less what you say.’ But he’s motivated, he wants to learn, he wants to get better, and he soaks in what J.J. tells him like a sponge. And same with Jackson.

“I mean, he doesn’t have to listen to me. He was a one-one. What do I have to tell him, necessarily? But he’ll sit in the video room and break down film on pitchers and how to get better at stealing bases, and he’ll just sit there and soak up every bit of it. And (Jordan) Westburg, all those guys, they’re all the same. They’re humble guys that want to get better, but they’re super, super talented.”

Hyde appreciates the skills and intangibles that past Orioles bring to spring training.

“Really impressed with our guest instructors this year. They’ve done a great job,” Hyde said.

“B-Rob is always fantastic every single year working with our middle infielders. He was doing some stolen base stuff today, talking to our guys about leads and breaks from first to second. J.J. Hardy has been wonderful with our middle infielders these last few days, too. Both of those guys having an influence on our young middle infielders, it’s a pleasure.”

* Upcoming Orioles starters:

Thursday: Grayson Rodriguez vs. Blue Jays in Sarasota
Friday: Zach Eflin vs. Twins in Fort Myers
Saturday: Cade Povich vs. Pirates in Sarasota.

Pittsburgh is starting Paul Skenes, which creates a Spring Breakout rematch.

* Hyde on Sugano:

"I thought he had really good stuff. I thought he commanded his fastball well, threw some really good split-fingers. Just didn't seem like he had much rust. Was pretty good for the first time.

"He's got elite command of multiple pitches, and when he misses, he just misses just off. It's really a lot of fun to watch."

Sánchez, via interpreter Brandon Quinones, on Sugano:

"A really good outing for it being his first game. Two clean innings. I feel like we were able to mix his pitches and he was able to execute them. His split looked good. A lot of his pitches looked good, so it was nice."

Sánchez on getting to know Sugano:

"Today we were just focused on executing different pitches. He told me to go out there and call whatever I felt was best. And I also told him, 'Hey, if you feel like throwing anything specific or doing anything specific, feel free to do so, as well.' We'll have plenty of time this year to get to know each other and continue working with each other, but today that was our goal, just executing different pitches."