SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde had plenty to say about reliever Branden Kline following today's 9-8 win over the Blue Jays, but he summed up the right-hander's performance with the first word.
"Wow," Hyde said.
No kidding.
It seemed to be the appropriate response after Kline restored order to the game by striking out the side in the ninth inning for the save. The continuation of a terrific comeback story by the former second-rounder out of Thomas Johnson High in Frederick and the University of Virginia, injuries no longer stalling him, his placement on the 40-man roster opening the door further for his eventual major league debut.
"Obviously, we've been watching his bullpens and watching his live BPs and you see he's got a great arm and electric stuff," Hyde said. "To be able to go do that in a spring training game ... We have a long way to go, but it's obviously great stuff for him. It's got to feel good for him."
Kline, in his first major league camp, kept the ball and planned on giving it to a loved one.
"It felt good," he said. "Fortunately, we've been doing a lot of live BPs, so really the big mental hurdle is just having a hitter in the box. So over the past week, week and a half since we've been here in camp I've gotten to throw to some hitters. Actually, a couple of times. So just getting the feeling of a hitter back in there and being able to put the ball where I need to. And then at the same time, kind of, when they swing and hit the ball, that's instant feedback for us.
"I got two live BPs in this week, both felt really good and I was able to continue to build on that."
One strikeout was looking, the other two swinging. His fastball climbed into the high 90s. And a lead that almost disappeared held up.
"It's enjoyable when you can do that, but I've got to give a lot of credit to Marty (catcher Martin Cervenka)," said Kline, who missed almost three full seasons following Tommy John surgery and two cleanup procedures. "I didn't have to shake Marty off once. It helped out a lot him being out there with me, as we were in Bowie all of last year, so it was enjoyable. But at the same time there's still a lot of things I need to work on, still a lot of things I can improve on, and I'm looking forward to doing that throughout the course of this camp."
Rio Ruiz gave the Orioles their second 3-0, first-inning lead in two days with a three-run shot to right field off Sean Reid-Foley. Chance Sisco hit a three-run homer in Saturday's exhibition opener.
"That's the mindset we've had since the start of spring training," Hyde quipped. "Man, that was impressive. Rio got all of it and happy for him. Got an opportunity to start and took advantage of it."
Ruiz is competing for the third base job, but he downplayed the significance of the homer beyond the runs it produced.
"I think any knock's important, you know what I mean? Especially with guys on," he said. "Given the situation, there were two outs, you just play for a run at that time, and it just so happened that the ball went over the fence. Definitely happy about that.
"I'm just focused on trying to see the ball the best I can and try to put a good swing on it. Earlier camps I've been in, I tried to do too much out of the gate and tried to impress too many people too often, and this time around I kind of just went in and just said, 'Just be you,' and it's kind of going how I want so far."
Ruiz, claimed off waivers from the Braves at the Winter Meetings, said there haven't been any surprises in camp. He's been at ease despite the new surroundings.
"Playing against these guys for the past couple of years in Triple-A, I knew what kind of guys they had and I was really looking forward to getting over here," said Ruiz, who also walked and scored twice. "They just brought in a new coaching staff and a new front office and the atmosphere here is unbelievable, man. Makes you want to go out there and grind every day.
"A new opportunity. That's the way I looked at it. Whether they had spots open or no spots open, I looked at it as a new opportunity to get better and improve and potentially get a chance to be in the big leagues."
Hyde did more maneuvering today, putting Stevie Wilkerson at second base, Cael Brockmeyer at first, Zach Vincej at third and Christopher Bostick in left field. Brockmeyer has been working with the catchers after replacing Jesús Sucre, who's detained in Venezuela while waiting for his work visa.
Brockmeyer singled in the seventh after walks to Ryan McKenna and Austin Wynns. McKenna held at third base and raced home on center fielder Jonathan Davis' error. Another run scored on Bostick's grounder and Wilkerson delivered an RBI single for a 9-5 lead.
David Hess worked two innings and gave up a solo home run to Dalton Pompey leading off the second. He allowed three hits.
"I was talking with Broc (Doug Brocail) afterward," Hess said. "He said I kind of showed who I was today. I went out and competed, and he said the thing he liked a lot was that, after the home run, went right back at them and got 1-2-3.
Left-hander Tanner Scott retired only one of five batters faced and was charged with four runs.
Jimmy Yacabonis
"He had a really good slider going," Hyde said. "I just like the way he attacks hitters. He's aggressive on the mound, he's working ahead and really getting a lot of chases with the slider. Really good first appearance for Yac."
Cody Carroll allowed two hits, but no runs, in the sixth and Dillon Tate stranded a runner in the seventh after a walk.
Sean Gilmartin, working the eighth, surrendered a leadoff home run to Patrick Cantwell and walked the bases loaded before stepping aside for minor leaguer Matt Wotherspoon. Not a good day for left-handed relievers.
Wotherspoon hit Nash Knight to force in a run and Roemon Fields reached on an infield hit with two outs, shortstop Drew Jackson unable to transfer the ball from his glove quickly, to cut the lead to 9-8.
Trey Mancini went 2-for-2 with a stolen base and a run scored. Chris Davis struck out in both at-bats.
Austin Hays had an RBI single and scored from first base on Carlos Pérez's double in his first game since ankle surgery. The Orioles stayed aggressive, running into outs in consecutive innings but also taking the extra base, as Jackson did in the eighth by going from first to third on Yusniel DÃaz's single to right.
"We're pretty athletic and we have to use that to our advantage," Hyde said. "We've got some guys who can run, guys that can go extra bases, guys that can score from first on a double, and that's important.
"I think that's the kind of style we're going to have to play and it's fun, it's a fun way to play and I think our guys are buying into it."