Suárez's latest bid to start, Mountcastle homers, Orioles prepping to play in minor league ballpark (O's win 6-2)

TAMPA – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde saw the changes in Albert Suárez during the right-hander’s third exhibition appearance. More life to the fastball, the same as last spring, which enabled him to get the four-seamer past hitters at the top of the zone. And the off-speed stuff actually is better than a year ago.

“I think it developed over the course of the season,” Hyde said earlier today.

“I thought he had command of everything last time out.”

And again today.

After limiting the Twins to one run in 3 2/3 innings, Suárez allowed two runs and struck out six Yankees while becoming the first Orioles pitcher to complete four innings in a game this spring. He retired the first eight batters with only one ball out of the infield and carried a shutout into the fourth before back-to-back doubles from Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt and a one-out, run-scoring single from Dominic Smith.

Thirty-nine swings resulted in 15 whiffs for Suárez, who threw 70 pitches and didn’t issue a walk. The Yankees collected five hits among their last eight batters.

“Everything was working well,” he said. “I think I was aggressive all the time. At the end they started making some contact. Those things happen. It’s spring training, so you realize you still have to make some adjustments to be ready for the season.”

Suárez began the bottom of the first inning by striking out Austin Wells looking at a 79.6 mph curveball after showing him a 95 mph fastball, and Aaron Judge fanned on a cutter. Cody Bellinger flied out on a curve. Twelve of Suárez’s 17 pitches were strikes.

Smith struck out looking at a 96 mph fastball to end the second. Oswald Peraza chased a 95.4 mph fastball for the second out of the third inning, Andrew Velazquez and Wells singled, and Judge struck out on three pitches – the last a cutter.

The Yankees struggled to lay a bat on Suárez’s fastball, his most effective pitch of the afternoon.

“I think most of the hits were soft contract on breaking balls,” he said with a grin, “so I probably should have kept throwing fastballs.”

The Orioles need someone to replace Grayson Rodriguez in the rotation and the battle comes down to Suárez and Cade Povich, who starts Thursday in Dunedin.

“That’s unfortunate for him to be hurt,” Suárez said. “I think for me, personally, I’m always ready for anything. It’s good if I can go four or five innings and be in the starting rotation, but (what) I always think about is to be ready for the team.”

* Ryan Mountcastle hit his first homer of the spring today, a three-run shot off Clarke Schmidt in the top of the first inning. He had one RBI coming into the game.

Adley Rutschman singled into center field at 105.1 mph for his ninth hit in 19 at-bats. Colton Cowser singled to right with two outs, giving him nine hits in 21 at-bats – he’d double later - and Mountcastle drove a sinker over the right field fence at 108 mph.

“Feeling good, feeling like I’m swinging at the right pitches,” he said, “and hopefully those turn into some good results.”

* Hyde brought more players to George M. Steinbrenner Field than usual because the Rays are relocating their home games to the minor league ballpark. Hurricane Milton shredded the Tropicana Field roof.

Today’s visit enabled the Orioles, who face the Rays seven times here, to do some advanced scouting.

“This is Yankee Stadium, plus a jet stream out to right field,” Hyde said, “so it’s gonna be an offensive ballpark against Rays’ 98 mph, five guys in the rotation, and (Pete) Fairbanks.”

Rutschman and Mountcastle asked to make the trip because of it.

“I just wanted to get at least a game in here before the season, and thankfully I was able to and the schedule lined up,” Mountcastle said. “Just get as much experience here as we can before the season starts.

“It’s a good place to hit, so just trying to drive something hard and in the air is usually the goal.”

The Orioles also will play at a minor league facility in Sacramento after the Athletics moved out of Oakland. They can fall back on their experience at Sahlen Field in Buffalo in 2020 and 2021, when the Blue Jays moved their games due to COVID restrictions and border issues. Hyde’s club ended a 20-game road losing streak on June 25, 2021.

“We’re partying like we won a Wild Card game here right now,” Hyde said afterward, “and rightfully so.”

Sitting in the visiting dugout today, Hyde said, “This is obviously a hitter-friendly ballpark, but the Rays have great pitching. Elements are gonna be different. Those of us who have been in the Florida State League understand that, and how much it rains, rain delays. BP gets rained out. Those types of things.

“I wanted to give some of our guys a taste of getting a feel for this ballpark.”

Suárez knows all about it. He played in the Florida State League in the Rays’ system in 2012.

“I think it’ll be a lot different by the time we come back here,” he said. “During the summer here I know there’s a lot of rain. … It’s not the first time I’m pitching in this park. For me, just to be ready to pitch to compete. I just focus on getting people out.”

“Being from Florida, it’s gonna be hot,” Mountcastle said. “But it’s a nice field. I think it’s a decent setup, so gonna have to get used to it, I guess.”

* Coby Mayo led off the fourth inning with a single to left field at 105.4 mph. He went 1-for-3. … Vimael Machín followed Mayo with an automatic double to left, and Cedric Mullins picked up an RBI on a grounder to first. … Cionel Pérez and Yennier Cano each tossed a scoreless inning. ... Zach Fruit, an extra from the minor league side, struck out two in a scoreless seventh and his fastball reached 100.3 mph. ... Hudson Haskin doubled in the eighth to score TT Bowens, who reached on an error, and Machín singled for a 6-2 lead. Machín is batting .444.

* The Orioles defeated the Yankees 6-2.

Fruit tossed three scoreless innings and struck out the side in the ninth to record the save.

Hyde on the ballpark:
“It’s small. It’s gonna be a hitters’ park this summer. I thought we played really well today. Really happy with our at-bats, especially that first time. Seen a lot of Clarke Schmidt, I thought we had really good at-bats against him in the first inning.”

Hyde on Suárez:
“They know Al, too. The slider was good, the cutter was good. He’s got his four-seam by guys. Kept throwing a lot of strikes. He’s been throwing the ball well this camp.”