Mateo plays 1st game in Orioles’ 12-1 loss to Phillies; Suárez works 5 strong in 7-1 win over Tigers

SARASOTA, Florida–What’s happening? Roansy Contreras will make his first start for the Orioles on Monday when they face the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida at 1:05 p.m.

Contreras has allowed five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out four in four appearances.

The game will be on MASN with Ben Wagner and Dave Johnson.

The Orioles have games against the Red Sox, Toronto on Tuesday night and the Yankees on Thursday night, and manager Brandon Hyde is trying not to overexpose his starting pitchers to American League East rivals.

Hyde has had Zach Eflin and Charlie Morton throw on the back fields. Dean Kremer last pitched on Wednesday and would be scheduled to pitch Monday.

“I think we see who it is and who we’re playing, and factor into a lot of if we can do some back-fields stuff, we’ll do that,” Hyde said. “I’d much rather have them play in the games. It’s a really unfortunate part about our spring training.”

The Orioles regularly play each of their four American League East opponents — Boston, New York, Tampa Bay and Toronto — all of whom train on Florida’s West Coast.

“You just don’t want to see them too much,” Hyde said. “I’m not bringing many of our regular players tomorrow.”

The Orioles haven’t named their starter for Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

Infielders Ramón Urías and Emmanuel Rivera remain out of the lineup. Urías has a strained left hamstring.

“I feel much better. I’m starting to run today,” Urías said. “We’re pretty close to being ready to play again.”

Urías said he hurt the hamstring about five days ago and said he’s not concerned about missing Opening Day. Hyde thinks he can play after Wednesday’s offday.

Rivera hurt his left shoulder on Thursday against Toronto in Dunedin.

What’s happened? Jorge Mateo returned to the Orioles’ lineup for the first time since having Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in August and was hitless in two at-bats in the Orioles’ 12-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies before the largest crowd of the spring, 8,089 at Ed Smith Stadium on Sunday.

Mateo grounded to third in the second and struck out in the fourth. He played five innings at shortstop.

“It was amazing. I was so excited at the time,” Mateo said. “Just to be there on the field with my teammates. That was unbelievable to me.”

Mateo, who was playing second base, was injured in Miami on July 23rd in a collision with shortstop Gunnar Henderson. He missed nearly all of the second half of the season.

“I was hurt to see my team, what’s going on in the playoffs and everything,” Mateo said. “That hurt me a lot. Now we’re here. Let’s go for it all.”

Mateo won’t play on Monday, and the team has only five games remaining before they leave Florida in a week. He wants to play on Opening Day.

“I hope so. I hope so. Let’s see how I feel in the next week,” Mateo said.

“I thought he played well defensively,” Hyde said. “I think the [offensive] timing’s going to be off for a while, but defensively, made a lot of really nice plays. He looked good coming off the field, so happy with his day … He missed the majority of spring training, so I’ll try to catch him up as fast as we can. This is the first step with his progression.”

Zach Eflin allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits in four innings. He walked two and struck out four.

Eflin, who was named the Orioles’ starter for their March 27^th opener in Toronto, has an ERA this spring of 7.27. He threw 84 pitches, 54 strikes.

He was taken out of the game after five batters in the third, four of whom scored, and replaced by Nathan Webb, who allowed two more runs before recording the final two outs. Eflin allowed a fifth run in the fifth when he was removed after two outs.

“I thought Eflin threw the ball good. I don’t think we really helped him much,” Hyde said. “I thought he had good stuff. I thought he got squeezed a couple of times that prolonged innings, but that the stuff was good and got him up to the good pitch count. I think he felt good about all his pitches.”

Bryan Baker allowed two hits and a walk in a scoreless sixth.

“You want to get a little momentum going into the year,” he said. You want a couple of clean [innings] for sure. Spring training is a different game.”

Matt Bowman threw a spotless seventh.

The Phillies scored five runs in the eighth against minor league reliever Trey Gibson.

Ramón Laureano hit his first home run of the spring for the Orioles’ only run.

Albert Suárez allowed one run on four hits in five innings as the other half of the Orioles’ split squad beat the Detroit Tigers, 7-1, before 6,914 at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on Sunday.

Suárez, who is contending with Cade Povich for the fifth starter’s job, allowed one walk and struck out four, throwing 60 pitches, 41 strikes.

Alex Pham threw four scoreless innings, walking two and striking out two for the save.

Dylan Carlson drove in three runs and had two hits. Jackson Holliday and Liván Soto each had two hits. Heston Kjerstad had an RBI double and Colton Cowser hit his second home run.

What’s up with? Seranthony Domínguez has had a rough spring. He allowed three runs on three hits while recording just two outs on Saturday against Pittsburgh in Bradenton.

“You’d like to see your guys be sharper,” Hyde said. “I thought the velo and stuff was good, a lot of 3-2 counts. You’re at the point in camp where you’d like to have guys start trending in the right direction. I think he’s going to. If we make a play at second base, he gets no runs. Obviously, that extended his inning in a huge way.”

Domínguez has a 23.14 ERA, allowing 12 runs on 14 hits in 4 2/3 innings. He’s given up four home runs, walked five and struck out nine.

“Things just didn’t go right yesterday,” Hyde said. “You look at his fastball velo, he’s throwing 98. Slider’s there. He threw some splits yesterday. Hopefully, he just gets a little sharper as the spring goes along.”

What’s what? Baker said that he doesn’t care about statistics during spring training. He has a 5.68 ERA.

“It’s been good overall,” Baker said of his spring. “It’s been weird because I’ve come in throwing a little bit harder. I feel like my stuff is better. My misses are right down the middle instead of getting into bad counts, a bunch of balls. It’s a lot different. It’s the life of a pitcher. You’re always making adjustments.”

What’s the word? “Just feel comfortable with my elbow. Just like I can diving. I can slide, so feel comfortable.”-Mateo on what he needs to see before he can feel ready for Opening Day.

What’s the number? 5. Suárez became the first Oriole pitcher to complete five innings.

What’s the record? 10-12-1. The Orioles will play the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at 1:05 p.m. on Monday.