Orioles claim another series with 6-2 victory over Red Sox (updated)

Tyler Wells had the stuff today when a situation called for it. Not at his fingertips throughout his start. Just enough to hold down his opponent.

He just needed the support, both from his offense and the bullpen.

It eventually comes. Wait for it.

Wells matched his career high with seven strikeouts, and the Orioles broke a tie in the fourth by scoring three runs off Tanner Houck to defeat the Red Sox 6-2 and win their sixth series in 2023.

Anthony Santander had two sacrifice flies, Ramón Urías set a career high with four hits, the ‘pen went full beast mode again, and the Orioles improved to 16-8 with their 10^th win in 12 games and 12^th in 15.

The charter to Detroit awaits, on a trip that also includes stops in Kansas City and Atlanta.

Yennier Cano inherited two runners from Danny Coulombe with one out in the seventh and ran his streak of retired batters to 22 in a row to begin the season by striking out pinch-hitter Christian Arroyo on nine pitches and needing only one to get a fly ball from pinch-hitter Reese McGuire.

Within three retired batters of breaking Fred Holdsworth’s club record of 24 set in 1976, Cano tied it when Alex Verdugo flied out and Rafael Devers grounded out, but he nailed Justin Turner on the left elbow with a 94.3 mph sinker.

Masataka Yoshida grounded out to keep Cano scoreless and hitless and with no walks in seven appearances.

"It's a really good sinker and that's a really good changeup," said manager Brandon Hyde. "It's got a ton of movement. ... He's been a lot of fun to watch."

Yoshida homered off Wells in the second inning, but the right-hander didn’t allow another run until Turner’s two-out RBI single in the sixth. Wells was finished after 102 pitches, his most as a professional, and Coulombe retired Yoshida on a ground ball.

Wells threw 12 strikes among his 14 pitches in the first inning. He needed only four pitches to retire Verdugo and Devers, but 10 to coax a line drive from Turner that found shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

Yoshida led off the second with a 412-foot home run to center field on a changeup, his fourth of the season. Wells settled down after walking Kiké Hernández and retired 10 in a row, getting two strikeouts with his changeup, two with his fastball, one with his curveball and one with his slider. He fanned the side in the fourth.

His seventh strikeout, against Connor Wong leading off the sixth inning, came on another fastball, but Verdugo doubled and scored on Turner’s full-count single.

Wells limited Boston to four hits and one walk. His ERA is 2.79 in 29 innings.

"I didn't think he had his best stuff," Hyde said. "I think this is the first time he's thrown 100 pitches in a long time. I just thought, he's a great competitor and thought he tried to wiggle his way out of a lot of things. A lot of deep counts. But that's a really good offensive club. Thought he willed his way the whole way. Super excited for him."

"The team had my back all day, making great plays behind me," Wells said. "The bullpen had my back. ... Overall very happy with the result.

"I didn't think I had my best stuff today, to be honest with you. I didn't think I had my best locations. It was kind of a grind out there for sure, but ultimately we just focused on the plan, try to execute it and get the job done."

Wells said his father texted him about how it was the first time he exceeded 100 pitches since 2018 in the minors.

"It feels great to be able to go out there and provide length for the team and not have those restrictions," Wells said.

Jarren Duran lined a single past diving shortstop Henderson, 107.2 mph off the bat, with one out in the fifth. Henderson kept checking his right hand, signaled to the dugout that he was fine, and turned a double play after Wells fielded Enmanual Valdez’s comebacker.

Henderson glanced at the hand again as he jogged to the dugout, but he stayed in the game and drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth.

The Orioles led 1-0 in the first inning after Cedric Mullins’ leadoff single, Valdez’s second error in less than 24 hours – this one when he whiffed on Adley Rutschman’s line drive that should have been a double play – and Santander’s fly ball to medium center field.

Adam Frazier, Ryan O’Hearn and Urías singled in succession in the fourth to break the tie. Terrin Vavra laid down a sacrifice bunt, Mullins reached on an infield hit to score O’Hearn, and Rutschman increased the lead to 4-1 with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Mullins stole his 10^th base and was stranded. He's the first Oriole to swipe 10 or more without being caught to start a season since Brian Roberts and Corey Patterson set the club record with 13 successful attempts in a row in 2006.

Urías had a leadoff single in the sixth off former Orioles left-hander Richard Bleier, pinch-hitter Ryan McKenna singled, Mullins laid down a sacrifice bunt, Rutschman walked to load the bases, and Santander was credited with another sacrifice fly on Yoshida’s diving catch in left.

Three sacrifice flies and two sac bunts through the sixth. The first multiple sac bunts in a game since May 23, 2021 in D.C.

"I think the goal in this game is to tack on runs and to keep the pressure on the defense and have them have to play the infield in, and those types of things," said Hyde, whose club at 10 singles and one double. "That brand of baseball. And Terrin and Cedric both gave themselves up for the team and that's fantastic. I think we're doing the little things fairly well. We need to. We're not going to be first in offense and we're not going to lead the league in homers. We need to be able to run the bases well, be able to move runners, be able to score runners from third. And we did that well today."

Urías reached on an infield single off John Schreiber’s foot and scored on McKenna’s double to left-center. Closer Félix Bautista still got his light show and hype video in the daylight and a non-save situation, and the first two batters reached on a bloop single and walk.

Bautista escaped the jam and headed back to a clubhouse where music plays and another light show swirls.

Wait for it.

"I think we're doing a great job of being consistent every day, showing up at the park prepared," Hyde said. "I think our coaches are doing a great job with that, preparing these guys. And I don't see us too up, too down. I see us at an even keel. I think some of our veteran guys have a huge part of that. That's how Kyle Gibson and Adam Frazier are. And I think our guys learned a lot last year about attitude in coming to the ballpark. They've carried that into this year."

The last five series in a row have gone to the Orioles.

"I think, especially a division opponent, that means everything," Vavra said. "These are good teams we're facing, and just to be able to put series together, that gives you confidence going into the next series and try to keep that momentum going forward."

Shortstop Jordan Westburg hit his fifth home run today in Triple-A Norfolk’s 2-1 loss in Charlotte. Westburg and third baseman Josh Lester each had two hits.

Charlotte was held to two, both against left-hander Bruce Zimmermann, who allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings. He walked four batters and struck out five.