Orioles observations on Tyler Wells’ efficiency, another offensive explosion and more vs. Rays

SARASOTA, Fla. — Tyler Wells was so efficient Tuesday he ran out of innings to throw all his pitches.

The Orioles right-hander made his second Grapefruit League start of the spring in the team’s 12-8 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday and filled up the strike zone, delivering four innings of one-run ball on just 41 pitches. For the rest of the Orioles’ scheduled pitchers to get their work in, Wells had to finish his day in the bullpen so that he could throw another 20 pitches and build up his arm for the regular season.

“I’ll always take that,” Wells said. “Efficiency, to me, being able to go deeper into games, later in the season, it’s a lot nicer. Obviously, in spring training, having to come and throw and finish the bullpen and stuff like that, it’s a little bit different. But to get that during season, that’s really always the goal to be able to go out and get a lot of innings and take it off the bullpen’s arms.”

Wells, 29, is getting the chance to earn a rotation spot this spring in wake of the injuries to Kyle Bradish (UCL strain) and John Means (elbow discomfort). He averaged 5.4 innings per start in 2023, when he appeared to be headed for a breakout season until he started to experience fatigue in mid-July and transitioned to a bullpen role.

The Orioles are hopeful Wells can take what he did over the first three months of last season — when he posted a 3.18 ERA through July 8 — and carry it over into 2024. Being as efficient as he was Tuesday would go a long way in helping him build off his career-high 118 2/3 innings from a year ago.

“I feel like once you do it once, you can do it again,” Wells said. “It’s all about just keeping a consistent mindset, I think. That’s going to be the biggest thing for me this year is just being in tune with myself and in tune with my mind and body and that’s what I worked really hard on this offseason, especially on the body aspect.”

Another offensive explosion

For the third time in four days, the Orioles scored double-digit runs as their stars young and old filled up the box score. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman, batting leadoff and second, respectively, combined to go 5-for-8 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Tampa’s originally scheduled starter Taj Bradley was scratched moments before first pitch, prompting journeyman Erasmo Ramírez to take the mound. He was tagged with eight runs in the first two innings as Baltimore’s lineup, which had all nine slots filled by hitters who were holdovers from the Orioles’ 2023 roster, started 8-for-12, including a three-run home run by second baseman Jordan Westburg.

“It’s awesome,” Henderson said of the Orioles’ offensive potential. “Seeing guys just go out there and hit, seems like we’re hitting a lot throughout spring so looking forward to carrying that into the season.”

The Orioles tacked on three more runs in the fifth behind a solo homer by third baseman Ramón Urías and RBI singles out of Rutschman and center fielder Jorge Mateo. After manager Brandon Hyde pulled the starters, outfielder Daniel Johnson got in on the parade with a solo shot of his own in the seventh.

This story will be updated.