Alvarez solid in OF debut

TAMPA, FLA. — The focus of the Orioles’ experiment is centered on whether the slugger can hold his own defensively in the outfield. But Alvarez reminded the club Saturday in his Grapefruit League debut what kind of asset he can potentially be.

Alvarez, making his first career start in right field Saturday against the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field, caught the only ball hit his direction on the day, offering more production with his bat in the Orioles’ 5-4 win.

Alvarez drove in two runs, hitting a home run to lead off the seventh and a two-out RBI single to ignite a three-run fourth inning for the Orioles.

Third baseman

followed Alvarez’s fourth-inning hit with a tworun homer over the left-field fence off left-hander

Both of the left-handed-hitting Alvarez’s hits Saturday came against lefty pitchers.

“[It] was a good day for him,” Orioles manager said. “He had some really good at-bats against left-handed pitching. We knew he would. Sometimes left-handed guys like to see left-handed guys to make them stay on the ball a little bit more.”

Alvarez played six innings in the field but had just one ball come his way — in the air or on the ground — in his outfield debut. Bundy rebounds: Right-hander

rebounded from a rocky outing, going four innings against the Yankees.

Bundy allowed three runs on four hits, two of those runs coming on

two-out two-run double in the third inning. Bundy walked three and struck out one.

In his previous start, last Sunday, Bundy gave up five runs over two innings. Tavarez’s homer the difference: Rule 5 outfielder first spring home run was impactful, coming against recently signed Yankees reliever

in the ninth inning in a tie ballgame.