Alexander Wells on making All-Star Game (plus O's notes)

The Orioles' Australian import is certainly having a strong first season in pro ball. Alexander Wells, a 19-year left-hander from Newcastle, Australia, is 4-5 with a 2.03 ERA in 10 starts for short-season Single-A Aberdeen. His strong season is leading him to Tuesday's New York-Penn League All-Star Game at Hudson Valley.

"It is a very good honor," Wells said in Aberdeen this week. "A bit shocked and surprised. But it is a great feeling and I'm really happy to represent Aberdeen."

The Orioles signed Wells for $300,000 last August and he spent this season in extended spring training until joining the IronBirds where he was their opening night starter on June 17.

Two starts ago, Wells and the team got a real scare when he took a liner off his shin pitching to the first batter of the game. He left the game, but X-rays were negative and Wells returned Friday night to pitch five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit against Lowell.

Wells ranks fourth in the league in ERA and first in WHIP at 0.84 among NYP starting pitchers.

He's a control pitcher who seems to be proving you don't need to light up a radar gun to do well. His fastball is in the 90-91 mph range. But over 48 2/3 innings, he has walked just four and fanned 35 batters with a .214 average against.

What's been the key to his strong season?

"Just commanding the zone," Wells said. "Been in and around the zone and getting outs in early counts. Keeping the walks down is a big thing for me as I don't have the velo of some other guys to strike guys out. I'm more a groundball pitcher that keeps the walks down.

"It is not all about the radar gun. I feel like the command I have with my velocity is sometimes better than throwing high 90s and not commanding it."

After this week's All-Star Game, he looks forward to putting the finishing touches on a strong first pro season.

"Just continue throwing the ball well. Look to keep throwing the ball down in the zone, keep pounding both sides of the strike zone and finish off a strong year," Wells said.

O's trip ends today: It has been, at times, a very frustrating road trip for the Orioles and it ends today in San Francisco. The Orioles actually won a series on this trip, have gotten solid starting pitching for most of it and saw Manny Machado hit three homers in a game a week ago today. But they also scored just three runs in a three-game span at Oakland and have lost five of nine on the trip. They need to win today to finish 5-5 at Chicago, Oakland and San Francisco before facing Boston at home Tuesday night.

Today ends a stretch where, since June 28, the Orioles will have played 30 of 42 games away from home. They are 20-21 in this stretch, going 8-4 at home and 12-17 on the road. When the stretch began, the Orioles led the American League East by 4 1/2 games. Today, they trail Toronto by a half-game.

After today's game, the Orioles have 25 of their remaining 45 games at home and they don't leave the Eastern Time Zone for a single series.

Will improved starting pitching and a more favorable schedule be enough to put the Orioles over the top in the AL East race?