‘He keeps getting better’: Wells strikes out a career-high 8
BALTIMORE — Fredi González’s spouse, Tricia, might sense his nervous power as the 2 shared espresso at breakfast Saturday morning. The Orioles’ bench coach, a former 10-year MLB supervisor, had a one-day task to return to his outdated put up.
While Baltimore skipper Brandon Hyde attended the commencement of his oldest daughter at Syracuse University, his membership was left within the succesful palms of González, who as soon as led the Marlins (2007-10) and Braves (2011-16). Still, the 59-year-old was anxious, and he didn’t disguise it.
“I’m just making sure that everything’s OK, nobody gets hurt, Hyder comes back tomorrow and I say, best-case scenario, ‘Tyler Wells threw nine innings and the bullpen is fully rested. Go get ‘em,’” González mentioned earlier than Saturday night time’s sport vs. the Pirates.
Wells didn’t fairly throw 9. But the 28-year-old right-hander made it a straightforward night time on the helm for González.
The Orioles stored rolling with a 2-0 win at Camden Yards that featured solo dwelling runs from Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson and 7 dominant innings by Wells, who struck out a career-high eight and lowered his MLB-best WHIP to 0.72. Baltimore (26-13) once more owns the second-best document within the large leagues behind solely Tampa Bay (30-11) and has now gained 9 of its previous 10 sequence.
Wells retired 20 of Pittsburgh’s first 21 batters, together with 17 in a row following Carlos Santana’s leadoff single within the second. The Pirates didn’t have one other baserunner till Santana and Jack Suwinski drew consecutive two-out walks within the seventh.
“I was locating the ball much better tonight, just kind of putting my slider where I wanted it, my changeup where I wanted it. My fastball was working for me tonight as well,” Wells mentioned. “Whenever you’ve got three solid pitches working for you, being able to put it in the general area that you need to put it in, outings like that happen.”
Although Wells additionally blended in his cutter and curveball effectively, he was only with the trio of pitches he named. He induced a career-high 18 whiffs, per Statcast, together with on eight of the 11 swings in opposition to his slider and 5 of the ten vs. his changeup. He additionally received 4 together with his four-seam fastball and one other together with his cutter.
In a brisk contest lasting solely 2 hours and 4 minutes, the homers by Rutschman and Henderson off Pittsburgh starter Roansy Contreras — which got here within the first and second innings, respectively — have been sufficient help for Wells, who has a 2.68 ERA by means of eight outings.
“He works quick and knows what he wants to do, and he goes out there and executes it,” Henderson mentioned. “It’s been really fun to play behind him.”
And Wells is all the time appreciative that these defenders are again there — particularly Anthony Santander in proper area on Saturday.
Santander preserved Wells’ sterling night time with a leaping catch on the wall to retire Miguel Andujar for the ultimate out of the seventh. Santana and Suwinski, who have been at first and second, doubtless would have each scored on the play had Santander not caught it, which might have tied the sport.
What was Wells considering when the ball left Andujar’s bat at 100 mph and was touring to deep proper?
“I can’t say that on air. But I could tell you that whenever I saw him catch it, I blacked out, lost my mind,” mentioned Wells, who twice spun round and pumped his glove earlier than greeting Santander with an enormous hug. “Definitely owe him a nice, fat steak — maybe even a whole cow — after that catch.”
Shortly earlier than Santander’s snag, González had turned to third-base coach Tony Mansolino within the first-base dugout and shared the fun of what it was prefer to be managing a tightly contested sport once more.
“I’m like, ‘You can’t get this feeling I’m having right now anywhere else than here in baseball,’” González mentioned. “For me, it was Wellsy’s game right there and then, right? I’m not going to bring in anyone else other than Wells, and he did it. What a great feeling.”
Thanks to Wells, González wanted solely two calls to the bullpen, bringing in Baltimore’s two finest relievers — Yennier Cano within the eighth and nearer Félix Bautista within the ninth. Cano preserved his unblemished ERA together with his fifteenth consecutive scoreless look to open the season and Bautista struck out the aspect within the ninth for his tenth save.
Also because of Wells, González led the Orioles to a win and might hand again the largely recent reduction corps to Hyde upon his return.
“He keeps getting better,” González mentioned of Wells. “You feel comfortable giving him the ball every fifth day.”
Especially when it’s your solely day because the appearing supervisor.
