Tyler Wells is DEALING for the Baltimore Orioles. As he’s done many other times, including previously on this home stand, he went out today and dominated an opponent. That being Toronto. Wells’ line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K.
The eight strikeouts sticks out at me. It’s tough to pitch much better than that. Now the downside to eight strikeouts is the number of pitches thrown. Strikeouts cost at least three pitches. In theory, fly outs or ground outs could be fewer. However the fact is that Wells took care of what he needed to take care of today. Just as he has all season.
The Birds took an immediate 1-0 lead on Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single in the last of the first. However Wells made perhaps two bad pitches in the game, both to Jansen. The first landed in the seats in the top of the third. The second in the top of the fifth. And Toronto led, 2-1.
However the great thing about this Oriole team is that they pick one another up. Come the last of the fifth Adley Rutschman deposited a ball of his own into the outfield grandstand, tying the game at two. However the O’s didn’t want Wells to leave the game without the possibility of getting a decision. So Anthony Santander smacked an RBI-single in the sixth, putting the Birds in the lead, 3-2.
Austin Hays’ solo homer in the right gave the O’s some insurance, and they ended up with a 4-2 victory. This was their second series win against Toronto, which is huge in the all-important AL East standings. They also finished off a 5-1 home stand. Are the games perfect? No. But they’re winning much more than they’re losing. And that’s the goal.
The O’s now head to the Windy City for the second time this year to open up a three-game set tomorrow against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks. Game time is set for 2:20 PM.
Birdland Crush 