Shintaro Fujinami, the Orioles’ lone bullpen addition forward of Tuesday’s commerce deadline, brings large upside. Wednesday’s outing confirmed his draw back.
Inheriting two runners from rookie starter Grayson Rodriguez with two outs within the sixth of Baltimore’s matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays, Fujinami issued a four-pitch stroll, then hit consecutive batters, permitting each of Rodriguez’s runners to attain earlier than an error by shortstop Jorge Mateo introduced in one other. The three scores in a hitless inning supplied the ultimate margin in Baltimore’s 4-1 defeat on the Rogers Centre.
“I wanted to get an out so bad,” Fujinami mentioned by interpreter Issei Kamada. “Grayson was doing a great job today. I didn’t want to give up a run, and I just put too much pressure on myself.”
At the price of sending No. 30 prospect Easton Lucas to the Oakland Athletics, Fujinami was a tantalizing acquisition for the Orioles (66-42), together with his high-velocity fastball and depraved splitter making him an attractive choice so as to add to supervisor Brandon Hyde’s All-Star late-inning tandem of Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista. But the right-hander has at instances struggled to harness his devastating stuff, seemingly needing to settle into his outings.
Including Wednesday’s efficiency, the primary two batters to face Fujinami throughout his first six appearances with Baltimore have gone 1-for-6 with a house run whereas strolling 5 instances and getting hit as soon as. Asked whether or not the development will have an effect on how he deploys Fujinami going ahead, Hyde responded, “Well, we really need him.”
“He just didn’t have his command,” Hyde added. “His last few times out, he was really, really good, and hopefully, he can get back to that.”
Rodriguez allowed two hits, one run and no walks by 5 2/3 innings earlier than issuing consecutive free passes in full counts, the latter coming in a 10-pitch battle with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Coming off a three-outing span by which he struck out seven with two walks over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, Fujinami entered and threw 4 straight balls to load the bases earlier than his fifth pitch hit Matt Chapman. After a mound go to, Fujinami bought forward 0-2 on Danny Jansen, then hit him, too, later saying he was working too shortly together with his slide-step movement and affecting his timing.
He appeared to get an inning-ending grounder proper to Mateo, however the infielder booted the ball to permit one other run to attain. Mateo led all American League shortstops in Statcast’s outs above common final 12 months with 11 however has been value 2 OAA in 2023, together with a minus-3 mark in July. Offensively, Mateo entered Wednesday, by which he went 0-for-2, batting .159 with no residence runs and a .415 OPS for the reason that begin of May.
“Guys are going to make errors,” Hyde mentioned. “We’re not going to be perfect in the field, and we were pretty close, especially these last couple of weeks.”
“Guys are going to make errors. We’re not going to be perfect in the field, and we were pretty close, especially these last couple of weeks,” mentioned Hyde, whose workforce has simply three errors previously two weeks, all since Saturday.
The inning ultimately ended on a line drive to 3rd baseman Gunnar Henderson. Overall as an Oriole, Fujinami has allowed 4 runs (three earned) in 6 2/3 innings with 5 walks, two hit batters and 9 strikeouts.
“First couple outings were a little wobbly,” Fujinami mentioned. “I had three good outings, and today, I kind of lost my command again, so hopefully, my performance is going to be better, and I can get pitch in a good situation again.”
Both of Fujinami’s hit batters added runs to Rodriguez’s line. The solely different rating off Rodriguez got here within the fourth, when Brandon Belt doubled for Toronto’s first hit and George Springer scored him with a bloop into middle. Those have been the one hits the rookie right-hander allowed.
In 4 begins since rejoining the Orioles’ rotation after being optioned again to Triple-A Norfolk with a 7.35 ERA, Rodriguez has a 3.57 ERA and held opponents to a .195 common. Both he and Hyde mentioned he didn’t have his greatest command Wednesday, which made his efficiency extra spectacular.
“Got away with some fastballs that kind of ran back in the middle, but he’s got such good stuff that he lasted for a while,” Hyde mentioned. “He pitched very, very well.”
Ryan Mountcastle continued to have success since coming off the injured checklist with two singles and two walks, accounting for nearly half of the 9 instances an Oriole reached base Wednesday. Baltimore’s lone run got here on Adley Rutschman’s infield single within the fifth.
The defeat, which ended with rookie infielder Jordan Westburg getting picked off first base, marked the Orioles’ first of their previous seven video games at Toronto (60-49). They’ll look to win the four-game collection Thursday behind right-hander Jack Flaherty, making his workforce debut after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday for 3 prospects.
With Flaherty and Fujinami within the fold, the commerce deadline handed and precisely a 3rd of the common season to go, the Orioles will depend on the gamers they’ve to carry on to their lead within the AL East, which remained at 1 1/2 video games over the Tampa Bay Rays regardless of Wednesday’s loss. Rodriguez mentioned the clubhouse believes in its skill to go the place it needs to go.
“We’re really confident,” he mentioned. “Obviously, we have to take it day by day. Each game presents a different challenge. but there’s a lot of guys in there that are really looking forward to what the rest of the season holds. We’ll worry about the postseason when we get there. But for right now, we’re ready to rock. We’re pretty confident with what we have in the locker room.”
Around the horn
- Orioles nearer Félix Bautista was named the AL Reliever of the Month for the third time. In July, he didn’t permit a run over 14 innings, placing out 25 of 48 batters confronted. “He’s just been unbelievable,” Hyde mentioned.
- Baltimore promoted outfielder Dylan Beavers, its No. 22 prospect in line with Baseball America, to Double-A Bowie. The No. 33 choose in final 12 months’s draft, Beavers went 2-for-4 with a double together with his Baysox debut Wednesday.
Orioles at Blue Jays
Thursday, 3:07 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com