Notes on Sugano, small ball, Baker and more from Orioles-Twins and Orioles-Phillies (updated)

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tomoyuki Sugano can’t be disappointed today with his command. He’d be hard-pressed to complain about anything. Even the perfectionist in him should be satisfied.

Well, mostly.

What bothered Sugano in Monday’s start didn’t exist with the same force this afternoon against the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. He was razor sharp, retiring all nine batters faced and striking out five.

The Japanese right-hander hasn’t allowed a run in seven exhibition innings.

“It wasn’t perfect. I would say 90 percent,” he said, remaining his toughest critic.

“I was able to execute according to my gameplan prior to the game, so everything went well.”

Sugano threw 46 pitches today, 29 for strikes. His fastball topped out at 93 mph eight times.

“It’s early to decide on whether (pitches are) working or not because these are all new hitters that I’m facing,” he said via interpreter Yuto Sakurai. “But overall, I’m doing what I’m able to do, so everything’s working out.”

First baseman Ryan O’Hearn had a nice vantage point and was impressed.

“Today was beautiful,” he said. “It’s a ton of strikes, it’s a great tempo, it’s a great pace to play defense behind. He throws harder than I thought he did. I’m really excited about him and today he looked great.”

Three of the strikeouts were looking to left-handed batters, including a breaking ball that froze Mike Ford to end the third. Matt Wallner swung through a two-strike 93 mph heater to begin the game, and Trevor Larnach and Edouard Julien opened the second by taking called third strikes at 93.

“I was able to attack and execute according to what we discussed with Frenchy (Drew French) and Gary (Sánchez) before the game,” Sugano said, “so I’m happy with it.”

Sugano appeared to be lined up to pitch the home opener on March 31, but he might get a bump in the rotation. Grayson Rodriguez will begin the season on the injured list, but Sugano and Charlie Morton have combined for 13 shutout innings this spring.

Morton is entering his 18^th major league season. The Orioles are Sugano’s first experience in the U.S.

"Overall, I’m having a great day on a daily basis,” he said. “The team, everybody’s welcoming. I’m having fun every day.”

* The small ball approach that the Orioles want to coax out of Jackson Holliday peeked out in the third inning.

Holliday squared to bunt and pulled back, laid down a foul bunt up the third base line and reached on first baseman Edouard Julien’s throwing error on an attempted force. Holliday stole second base and came around on another Julien throwing error, with Ramón Laureano ahead of him.

Julien tried for the out at the plate and threw wide, and no one covered while catcher Ryan Jeffers retrieved the ball. Holliday kept motoring and scored, the Orioles’ aggression forcing mistakes.

O’Hearn followed with an RBI single into left field for a 3-0 lead.

All three runs were unearned, but it looked like the Orioles worked hard for them.

“I’ve been a big advocate for that and in hitters meetings and things like that,” O’Hearn said. “From the defensive point of view for me, it’s when teams are striking out a lot, it’s an easier, less stressful time on defense. And when guys are putting balls in play and you know they’re gonna put the ball in play, and ball finds a hole, first and third, less than two outs, and here we go. Runs are going on the board. For me, putting the ball in play is probably the biggest thing we can.”

Holliday also delivered a line drive single into center field in the fourth that scored Laureano.

O’Hearn wasn’t getting results early but he’s having much better at-bats and is 4-for-19.

“At this point in spring training it’s as much about the takes as it is about the swings,” he said. “Our eyes adjusting, making late decisions and then just putting your body in a good position to make good swings. I think I’m progressing the way I want to be. Obviously, you want to start crushing balls all over the yard and I think I’m right on the verge of that.”

* Bryan Baker retired all nine batters he faced before today, but he surrendered three solo home runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Wallner led off the fourth by driving a two-strike pitch to left-center field. Julien led off the fifth by clearing the fence in left-center, Mickey Gasper grounded out, and Brooks Lee went to deep right field with one out and the count 3-0.

The wind aided Wallner, if that’s any consolation.

* Adley Rutschman grounded a single into right-center field in the first inning for his eighth hit in 17 at-bats. … Twins center fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. made a spectacular diving catch in right-center field to rob Livan Soto in the third inning. … Matt Bowman starts Monday night against the Pirates in Bradenton, and Albert Suárez faces the Yankees Tuesday afternoon in Tampa.

* In Clearwater, reliever Rodolfo Martinez was charged with three runs in two-thirds of an inning. He walked three batters and raised his ERA to 22.09.

Starter Thaddeus Ward allowed three runs in three innings.

Coby Mayo’s sacrifice fly in the second inning scored Emmanuel Rivera for a 1-0 lead.

* The Orioles won 4-3 in Sarasota and lost 12-2 in Clearwater.

Coby Mayo doubled against the Phillies to go with his sacrifice fly. Luis Vázquez had two more hits.

Hyde on Sugano:
“I thought the fastball command was excellent to both sides of the plate. Really good split. Worked ahead of hitters the entire (three) innings he was out there. I thought the fastball had life to it. I thought he was really, really sharp.”

Hyde on three-run third inning:
“That was my favorite inning so far this spring. Didn’t have an extra-base hit, the one ball we hit really hard by Soto was caught. We ran the bases really well, we put the ball in play with runners in scoring position. Shortened swings with two strikes, singles to drive in runs. A lot of really good things. No extra-base hits in a three-run inning.”