ANAHEIM, Calif. — Even though he’s technically a rookie, Tomoyuki Sugano has been an ace before.

The 14-23 Orioles need a lot more to go right elsewhere on the team, but the 35-year-old Japanese veteran’s experience has been rock solid in a jittery starting rotation and lately has the look of something special.

Sugano delivered another great start Friday night, the key factor in Baltimore’s 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Angels that ended a five-game losing streak.

Moments before manager Brandon Hyde emerged to speak to the media, an appreciative roar echoed from inside the visiting clubhouse. Amid an ugly start to the season, the Orioles need every ounce of juice Sugano can give them.

“Especially when the team is struggling like this, if I can get a good outing like this, I’m personally happy about it,” Sugano said through team interpreter Yuto Sakurai. “If I can get the momentum going from today, I’m glad I’m able to do this kind of job.”

The Orioles could have hardly asked for more from Sugano, who threw 92 pitches and went all the way to the eighth inning, deeper than any other O’s starter this year.

No Angels batter reached base until the third inning, and none got into scoring position until the fifth. Luis Rengifo was nearly the first hitter to put a run on Sugano, his center-field shot falling just a few feet short of going over the wall.

Sugano struck out five without a walk, and even the hitters who got their bats on his splitter or sweeper had trouble getting anything off the ground. It helped that the Angels are just one of four teams with a lower batting average than the Orioles, but they had a hard time even getting on base against the former Nippon League MVP.

The shutout cracked in the seventh, when Yoán Moncada rocketed a drive to the right-field corner for a triple and was sent home by a fielder’s choice. But Sugano has yet to give up more than three earned runs in any of his starts, and in his last three he’s struck out 17 batters while walking just three.

Yennier Cano nearly fumbled Sugano‘s gem, coming in in the eighth, allowing two baserunners and lining up a full count for the go-ahead run at the plate. For Cano, it was the second day in a row of unsteady relief after giving up two runs replacing Dean Kremer in the finale against the Minnesota Twins.

But Cano finally struck out Zach Neto after a 13-pitch at-bat, then Keegan Akin recorded the final flyout to end the threat. The O’s are hoping their setup man’s recent struggles with command are just a blip.

“My arm feels really good and probably the best I’ve felt, and the results haven’t gone my way,” Cano said through interpreter Brandon Quinones. “And sometimes your arm can feel really tired and you get better results. So, in that way, baseball is just weird sometimes.”

For once, the offense offered early support. After their bats were subdued while being swept in Minneapolis, the Orioles found early life against Angels starter Kyle Hendricks.

Gunnar Henderson whipped a change-up 400 feet over the center-field wall in the first inning. In the next frame, Jackson Holliday and Emmanuel Rivera each singled in a run to capitalize on the first runners in scoring position of the evening.

But there is still plenty of work to do for a team that ranks last in MLB RISP average. From the second inning on, the Orioles couldn’t capitalize on eight more opportunities, including a sixth inning when Ryan O’Hearn and Tyler O’Neill (in his return from a neck injury) got on base with no outs.

The first two batters of Baltimore’s lineup had another rough outing. Leadoff hitter Cedric Mullins had his fifth hitless game in his last seven appearances and struck out twice. Adley Rutschman was 0-for-4, though a promising second-inning laser was snagged on a leaping catch by Neto at short. Rutschman got on base in the eighth on a fielder’s choice and scored an insurance run when Henderson tripled.

Baltimore’s recently shaky defense had a bounce-back night. In particular, first baseman Ryan Mountcastle had a fourth-inning dive for a hard-hit ball down the foul line, recovering in time for the out.

As far as the Orioles have buried themselves in the standings, it’s hard to get worked up over any single victory. The team enters Saturday’s game in the hunt for just its third series win of the year, a small step forward that would mean a lot, given the hole they’re in.

“Yeah, knew there’s just a matter of time. We just needed to get going, get a little fire up under us,” Henderson said. “And, yeah, felt like that happened.”

Notes

• In the corresponding move to activate O’Neill on Friday, the Orioles sent infielder Coby Mayo back to Triple-A Norfolk. In 13 plate appearances, Mayo had one hit and one walk. Hyde cited Rivera’s strong play recently as the factor that led the club to stick with him at third.
• The Orioles will be getting infield help soon, with Ramón Urías (right hamstring strain) expected back from the injury list Tuesday or Wednesday in the home series against the Twins. Hyde said Jordan Westburg, who is still feeling discomfort in his left hamstring, could be several days behind Urías.
• Colton Cowser took light field drills before Friday’s game. The outfielder is “just kinda starting out” baseball activities and is a ways away from swinging a bat after his left thumb fracture in March, Hyde said.

This article has been updated.