Wells cruises early but Orioles can't get the win (updated)

Following yesterday’s 101-pitch start from veteran Jordan Lyles, the Orioles rotation is shedding the restrictions imposed due to the lockout and shortened spring training. The label with instructions to handle with care is beginning to peel.

Tyler Wells is part of the group but also on his own. He understands that his switch back to starting after missing two seasons and working last summer in short relief carries its own rules. But he hasn’t relinquished total control over his usage.

Get through innings at a rapid pace and stay longer in games. Silence an opposing lineup and keep the bullpen phone quiet.

Wells retired the first six Twins batters tonight on 13 pitches. He recorded the first two outs in the second on only two. The ball never left the infield.

No one reached base until Luis Arraez, Wells’ friend from their days together in the Twins system, lined a one-out single into left field in the fourth. Wells completed five innings at 62 pitches, 46 for strikes, and allowed one run and four hits with no walks and four strikeouts in the Orioles’ 2-1 loss at Camden Yards.

The Twins have won 10 of their last 11 games. The Orioles are 8-15.

A 26-pitch fourth didn’t cost Wells any runs, but it put too many miles on the odometer.

Wells was permitted to complete five innings in his last start at Yankee Stadium because he threw 72 pitches, eight more than he needed to go four innings against the same opponent on April 16. He’s twice been removed after throwing 54, lasting a total of four.

“The best way to put it is, the things that I learned the last start against the Yankees, I was able to apply throughout this entire start, not just the first three innings,” Wells said. “It felt really good, I felt really crisp. I felt like I was pitching out there. Even if I tried to make a better pitch, I was still missing in the spots that I wanted to miss in and it just worked out well for me.”

Manager Brandon Hyde said on Wednesday and again today that Wells wasn’t likely to exceed the innings and pitches that he registered in the Bronx. There’s a cap. Holding Wells to it allows him to stay in the rotation throughout the season and avoid a shutdown.

“I don’t think you’ll see five innings a whole lot,” Hyde said.

Official quality starts won’t be visible, either.

“I’m going out there and just kind of going as long as I can until they tell me to stop,” Wells said. “That’s kind of how I’m trying to take it these last two starts. Whenever they say, ‘Hey, we’re going to loosen the reins a little bit,’ especially whenever our bullpen has been taxed, I’m happy to be able to go that deep.”

As Wells raced through the first three innings, Hyde's mind may have began doing the same.

"We were going to try figuring it out, just because he was throwing the ball so well. First couple innings, super quick at-bats, and really happy with how he's thrown the ball his last two starts," Hyde said.

"We need Tyler to pitch for us this year, so that's the challenge, honestly. I don't want to take him out, but it's a challenge right now. He reached five innings and got him out of the game."

Wells had two strikeouts and surrendered two singles in the fourth before Max Kepler flied out. The inning cost him 26 pitches after he began it at 25. He threw 11 in the fifth as Paul Fry began to warm, but also allowed a run on Trevor Larnach’s one-out double and Ryan Jeffers’ RBI single.

Starters have allowed two earned runs or fewer in 19 of 23 games, and Wells’ outing lowered the home rotation ERA to 1.72. Wells hasn’t issued a walk in his last three appearances.

"I don't like walking people," Wells said. "I don't like giving freebies away. There is a time and place to pitch around guys given the situation or given their streaks or whatever it may end up being, but I'm not going to back down, I'm not going to let guys just get on base for free and not be competitive."

The Orioles tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on Rougned Odor’s leadoff triple, his first since 2019, and Ramón Urías’ sacrifice fly. We witnessed our first collision with the new 90-degree bullpen corner, with left fielder Nick Gordon sliding hard into it as Odor raced to third base.

Bryan Baker entered in the sixth and Minnesota led 2-1 after Bryon Buxton’s leadoff single, a groundout and Carlos Correa’s single. Wells retired Correa twice on a popup and strikeout.

Lyles and other starters who weren’t in an early tandem can begin performing like they had a full camp.

“You saw Jordan go 100 yesterday and that was about where we’re at now,” Hyde said. “Kind of their second or third start in a normal season, where they are right now, so I think they’re all in the 95-100 pitch range except for Tyler. We’re right about there.”

Kyle Bradish makes his second major league start Wednesday night, the novelty being that the Twins are sending Dylan Bundy to the mound – an Orioles first-round draft pick traded to the Angels for a pitching package that included Bradish.

Wells had his own hook. The Orioles selected him from the Twins in the Rule 5 draft. His first major league win last year came against them, but in relief. Never a start before tonight.

“I remember going to Minnesota last year and he had a bunch of people he was saying ‘hello’ to, and a bunch of players and coaches that came over and said ‘hello’ to him during batting practice,” Hyde said. “Anytime you’re seeing familiar faces and playing against an organization that you were in at one time, I think there’s extra motivation.”

Said Wells: "I wouldn't say that it really meant anything to me as far as just sticking to my game plan, obviously. ... There's a lot of guys over there that I'm still close with, that I still talk to, but I wouldn't put it as it was any more significant than any other start."

Chris Paddack shut out the Orioles through the fourth. Tyler Nevin singled in the second and Cedric Mullins singled in the third. Odor’s triple in the fifth comes after he collected three hits Thursday in New York and two more yesterday, including a home run.

Austin Hays walked with one out in the sixth and Santander singled, allowing him to reach base in 22 of 23 games. Joe Smith entered, and Ryan Mountcastle bounced into a 4-3 double play.

Robinson Chirinos threw out Gordon trying to steal to end the seventh after a two-out single off Félix Bautista. Bautista struck out two batters in the eighth, including Buxton on 10 pitches, while working a career-high 1 2/3 innings.

“I think as the season goes on, we’re going to start seeing triple digits,” said Paul Fry. “The guy just attacks the zone, so I think anytime you’re facing him it’s a tough at-bat, for sure.”

Chirinos led off the bottom of the eighth with an 11-pitch walk against Emilio Pagán. Anthony Bemboom, the other catcher, came off a three-man bench to pinch-run and was stranded by a broken-bat liner and two strikeouts.

"We gave up two runs to a really good team," Hyde said. "We just didn't score."

Fry retired the side in order in the ninth. Rookie Jhoan Duran recorded his first major league save in his eighth career game.

“I really have been working on just going out there and working with our plan, not thinking too much at a time, just one pitch at a time,” Fry said after lowering his ERA to 9.00. “Going out there with a little bit of confidence, finally. Not giving the hitter too much credit like I have in the past and pitching around guys or trying to be too perfect. Today, I was just trying to attack with strike one and use my weapons.”