Baltimore Orioles' Sugano Tomoyuki (36) opened up about the struggle with the tight schedule of Major League Baseball.

On the 9th (Korean time), Sugano made his start in a game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, and recorded 4⅓ innings, 8 hits allowed, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, and 4 earned runs (3 unearned), resulting in a loss.

With a career record in Nippon Professional Baseball of 276 games (1,857 innings), 136 wins, and 74 losses, along with an earned run average of 2.43, Sugano is one of Japan's representative aces. Having spent his prime in Japan, Sugano made his Major League Baseball debut this season at age 36. Compared to many Japanese aces who transitioned to Major League Baseball earlier, his entry was considerably late.

Sugano, who played as an ace for Yomiuri, one of Japan's top prestigious clubs, spent his prime in Japan. In 2020, he played 20 games (137⅓ innings), achieving 14 wins and 2 losses with an earned run average of 1.97. He sought to enter Major League Baseball through posting, but was unable to secure a satisfactory contract due to the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to remain in Japan.

After spending 4 more seasons in Japan, Sugano showed his strength last year by recording 15 wins and 3 losses with an earned run average of 1.78 over 24 games (156⅔ innings). This time, with eligibility as an overseas free agent, he challenged the Major League Baseball again and signed a one-year contract worth $13 million (about 17.6 billion won) with Baltimore last December, finally stepping onto the big league stage.

This season, Sugano has recorded 5 wins and 4 losses with an earned run average of 3.23 over 13 games (75⅓ innings). While not overwhelming as during his time in Japan, he is having a decent debut season. However, considering the minimal rest days and the unimaginable travel distances of the Major League Baseball schedule, maintaining his current performance for the remainder of the season is a more important task.

Japanese media Sponichi Annex noted, "Orioles pitcher Sugano recorded 4 earned runs (3 unearned) with 8 hits allowed over 5 innings, suffering his 4th loss of the season. After winning 5 games in Seattle on the 4th and having a 4-day rest, this game was held during the day, meaning he effectively had only 3.5 days of rest," highlighting the grueling schedule of Major League Baseball.

Nippon Professional Baseball manages its season with many teams using a 6-man starting rotation. Like Korea, Mondays are rest days, so most starting pitchers are accustomed to pitching once a week. In contrast, Major League Baseball has irregular rest days and long travel distances, making it a crucial factor for pitchers who transition from Japan and Korea to adapt to the schedule of Major League Baseball.

Regarding this schedule, Sugano said, "Honestly, it was tough," and noted, "Still, if pitchers can create games going forward, there will be many opportunities to win," expressing his determination for the remainder of the season.

[OSEN]