CLEVELAND -- Luis L. Ortiz said each time he delivers a good outing, he likes to tip his cap to the crowd as he walks off the field. It¡¯s a way to show his appreciation to fans and to recognize his family in attendance, which included his wife and kids on Saturday.
Guardians fans showed Ortiz love right back, after he delivered a dominant performance in his first home start with Cleveland. In the Guardians¡¯ 6-3 win over the Royals on Saturday, the 26-year-old struck out 10 (setting a new career high) over 5 2/3 innings and allowed one hit -- a Vinnie Pasquantino solo homer -- and two walks.
As Ortiz walked off the mound in the sixth inning, he doffed his cap while he received a loud ovation from the Cleveland faithful.
¡°It was really good to be able to help the team and get that recognition on the mound,¡± Ortiz said through interpreter Agustin Rivero. ¡°That's what I wanted to do, and I was very happy to enjoy that situation and that I was able to do it.¡±
This is the version of Ortiz that the Guardians expected they were getting when they acquired him from the Pirates on Dec. 10. Cleveland landed the power right-hander with a five-pitch arsenal (four-seam, cutter, slider, changeup and sinker) when they made a flurry of trades that included sending Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez to the Blue Jays.
Ortiz had an up-and-down Spring Training, as he began familiarizing himself with a new organization and working on his mechanics with a new set of coaches. The message around him has been consistent: If he throws strikes, he¡¯s hard to hit.
We saw that in his last start on Sunday against the Angels (when he didn¡¯t issue a walk and allowed three runs in six innings) and again on Saturday.
¡°Luis has been working extremely hard to find that consistency that we know and he knows he has,¡± manager Stephen Vogt said. ¡°Obviously, what [pitching coach] Carl [Willis] and the pitching group do with our guys is impressive in itself. But Luis has to put in the work, and he has.
¡°We talked about it from the beginning of Spring Training: The sky's the limit for Luis. To see an outing like this, it was really fun.¡±
Ortiz worked around a one-out walk by Bobby Witt Jr. in the first inning by striking out Pasquantino and Salvador Perez. Those punchouts were part of a stretch in which he set down nine straight Royals hitters, before Pasquantino¡¯s one-out solo homer in the fourth. Ortiz came back after the homer and struck out Perez and Michael Massey.
Pasquantino noted how Ortiz¡¯s fastball ¡°takes off¡± on hitters due to his low arm slot, all while he mixes in cutters, changeups and sliders.
¡°If you look at the metrics on the fastball, you don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to move a whole lot,¡± Pasquantino said. ¡°But then based off where he¡¯s throwing and the height of it, it really takes off. And that can be a tough challenge. ¡ Hat tip to him. He had a really good night tonight.¡±
Ortiz struggled with his command during Spring Training, but he showed impressive flashes as a power pitcher with a deep arsenal. The Guardians also got a firsthand look at that last season. On Aug. 31, he held Cleveland to one hit and three walks over six scoreless innings.
He did not make it through six innings on Saturday, but he ended his night on a high note. Ortiz figured to be nearing the end of the line in the sixth inning after he issued a one-out walk to Royals leadoff man Jonathan India. His pitch count sat at 93 as superstar Witt stepped up to the plate.
In the dugout, Vogt did not budge. Ortiz rewarded that confidence by striking out Witt, on his 100th and final pitch of his outing. He got a called strike three on a 95.6 mph four-seam fastball on the outside corner.
¡°He just piggybacked this right off of his outing in Anaheim and was even better,¡± Vogt said.
Ortiz noted Saturday¡¯s outing was the outcome of the work he put in throughout the week leading up to his start. But it¡¯s also a credit to the work he continues to put in since joining the Guardians.
¡°The key has been working really closely with the staff,¡± Ortiz said. ¡°They always pay a lot of attention to me and I appreciate that. It shows in the results and the adjustments we have been doing. But also, importantly, the adjustments that we're going to continue doing through the season.¡±