O's game blog: Tyler Wells faces Cleveland at Camden Yards

Now 1-3 on an eight-game homestand, the Orioles will look to even their series with Cleveland at a win each today as they host the Guardians at Oriole Park. 

Cleveland right-hander Shane Bieber took a no-hitter to the sixth and a one-hit shutout to the eighth last night as Cleveland won 6-3 in the series opener. The Guardians took an early 5-0 lead on lefty Bruce Zimmermann on Friday.

The Orioles (22-32) are now 13-14 at home, 4-5 in their past nine games and 16-18 over the last 34 games. Cleveland (23-24) has won four in a row by a combined 25-9 score, winning three in a row versus Kansas City before the series opener in Baltimore. 

Cleveland pitchers have a team ERA of 2.55 the past 16 games and their rotation ERA is 2.78, with 13 quality starts in that span.

The O's rotation has struggled recently, with just one quality start the past 11 games. And that was by today's starter, right-hander Tyler Wells (2-4, 3.71 ERA), who pitched six scoreless innings his last time out.

That was Monday at Boston's Fenway Park, where Wells allowed just two hits over those six innings in a 10-0, series-deciding O's win. It was the longest scoreless outing of his career and he threw a season-high 88 pitches in his second career quality start.

O's starting pitchers have allowed 14 earned runs in 16 2/3 during this O's homestand. Meanwhile, Wells is set to make his 13th career appearance against an American League Central foe. He is 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA (eight earned runs over 26 1/3 innings pitched) against the division in his career. As a starter, he has pitched to a 1-1 record with a 3.00 ERA (5 ER/15.0 IP) in his three outings.

Wells is 1-0 with a 2.29 ERA (5 ER/19 2/3 IP) in four starts at Oriole Park this season and has not allowed more then three earned runs in a start at home this year. He has not suffered a loss at Oriole Park since Sept. 15, 2021 against the Yankees.

Trey Mancini is batting .365/.443/.504 (42-for-115) with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 14 RBIs, 15 runs and 13 walks in his last 30 games since May 1. During that span, Mancini ranks among AL leaders in on-base percentage (3rd), hits (T-3rd), batting average (4th), and OPS (7th, .947). His 19 total multi-hit games lead the team, are fourth in the AL, and tied for fourth in the major leagues. Mancini’s 59 hits rank seventh in the AL, while his .309 batting average ranks ninth.

The Orioles are sixth in the majors with 21 defensive runs saved this season, according to Sports Info Solutions. Baltimore has improved 18 spots from last year after ranking 24th with -30 DRS in 2021. And O's outfielders are tied for second in the bigs with 11 outfield assists, which has helped the team accumulate eight DRS from outfielders, tied for fifth most in the majors in 2022, per FanGraphs. The Orioles have turned 60 double plays, the most in the majors, including an major league-leading 38 double plays in 31 games since May 1.

Left fielder Austin Hays made a throw home in the seventh inning last night that registered at 100.6 mph. The O's did not get an out on the play, which came on a single by Cleveland's Oscar Gonzalez with Josh Naylor on second base. Naylor wisely held at third as Hays threw home. It was his hardest throw of the year. In outfield arm strength, Hays ranks in the top one percent of the majors this season.