BRADENTON, Fla. — Tomoyuki Sugano turned to the outfield and took a deep breath.

This was just a spring training game, but for Sugano this was his introduction to Major League Baseball. After a successful 11 years in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants, winning three MVP awards, Sugano decided now, at 35 years old and near the end of his career, was the time to make the jump.

So was he nervous Wednesday for his first start?

“No,” he said with a laugh, so certain in his response he didn’t even need to wait for his interpreter to translate.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Sugano threw 28 pitches in two innings, allowing one hit and two walks against the Pirates. He utilized all six of his pitches — changeup, cutter, four-seam, curveball, sinker and sweeper — at least once. The fastball averaged 92.1 mph.

“I thought he had really good stuff,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I thought he commanded his fastball well, he had a really good split. Just didn’t seem like he had much rust, pretty good for the first time.”

Sugano casually tosses the ball to a teammate as he warms up ahead of Wednesday's game. (Ulysses Muñoz / The Baltimore Banner)

His first inning was quick, Sugano needing just six pitches. It was efficient, every pitcher’s goal, but spring training is about getting the work in and he wasn’t able to with just six pitches. In the second, when he threw 22 pitches, he spent more time getting accustomed to the pitch clock and the PitchCom, two things the NPB does not have. He had used them just once prior to this start.

“Really good outing for it being his first game,” catcher Gary Sánchez said. “Two clean innings, and I feel like we were able to mix his pitches and he was able to execute them. Split looked good; all of his pitches looked good. It was nice.”

His scope will widen as he gets to know his catchers better. On Wednesday, he threw to Sánchez, who also has caught some of his bullpen sessions. But those were either just on the back fields or against Orioles prospects.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

This is the closest they’ve been to real game action, and their goal was to execute pitches — Sugano told him to call whatever he thought was best, and Sánchez advised him to do the same. Planning how they want to utilize his six pitches, and going through scouting reports, will come later.

“I want to work on the pitch sequence more,” he said through interpreter Yuto Sakurai. “Right now I’m just doing pitch by pitch. I want to work on the pitch sequence moving forward.”

And, although Sugano didn’t do any prep on Pirates hitters, there was some familiarity. Sugano faced Andrew McCutchen in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. McCutchen went 1-for-2 that day and 0-for-1 on Wednesday.

“That was somewhat nostalgic,” Sugano said.