As Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino walked out of the dugout toward the mound, a round of applause began in the seats. When Tyler Wells took the 17-second walk opposite of Mansolino, that applause turned into a standing ovation.
For the first time in 515 days, Wells pitched at Camden Yards. He dazzled against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing one run in 6.2 innings in a 2-1 win for the Orioles (68-77) on Sept. 10.
“Being back with the fans here in Baltimore, I was just, I was very excited all week to kind of get this one going,” Wells said. “Just really happy to be back out there with the fans here and just really grateful for them.”
Mansolino spoke highly of Wells’ return from right elbow surgery against the Padres last week, when the righty threw five innings of two-run ball in San Diego. The manager was especially pleased with the 6-foot-8, 260-pound right-hander’s stuff and command.
Wells secured his first win since July 8, 2023, in that outing, the lone blemish a Luis Arraez two-run home run. He was emotional after the game.
“It’s kind of a glory to God moment,” Wells told reporters in San Diego. “You kind of sit there and you start to kind of play the whole journey back in your head over and over. … You just kind of replay it in your head and just kind of take a deep breath. And getting all the hugs from the guys and just all the welcome backs, it was special.”
Entering Wells’ start against the Pirates (64-82), Mansolino said he wanted to see consistency, noting that it’s “inevitable” there will be ups and downs for players coming off long rehabs. Wells’ return to Camden Yards showcased pure consistency.
Wells was efficient in his longest start since June 15, 2023. He threw 89 pitches to record 20 outs, just three more pitches than in his five-inning outing against the Padres. He secured five one-pitch outs after failing to post any his last time out.
The 31-year-old had complete control of all five of his pitches (four-seam fastball, cutter, changeup, slider and curveball). He allowed just two baserunners and struck out six. Wells said he feels “great,” the best he’s felt after a start in his entire major league career.
“Another good one right there … it was so efficient,” Mansolino said. “Coming off surgery and doing the whole deal, it kind of feels like he’s picked up where he left off.”
Wells’ most impressive inning was the top of the third. He struck out the side on 15 pitches, with each punchout coming swinging on a different pitch — slider, cutter and four-seam fastball.
None of the strikeouts in the third came on the changeup, arguably his strongest pitch during his last full season in 2023. Among his five pitches, his highest percentage of strikeouts per pitch thrown came on the changeup that year.
Wells registered no strikeouts and just one total out on the changeup against the Pirates after securing one punchout and five total outs with it against the Padres.
Like in San Diego, the lone blip against Wells was a home run to a left-handed hitter. Spencer Horwitz belted a 2-2 down-and-in cutter onto the right field flag court in the fourth inning, snapping a streak of 10 straight retired to start the game.
The only other scoring chance Pittsburgh had against Wells came courtesy of a Ji Hwan Bae leadoff walk on four straight balls in the sixth inning, stealing second on the first pitch of the next at-bat for the Pirates’ first opportunity with a runner in scoring position. Wells punched out Henry Davis swinging on a high cutter for one out and secured back-to-back three-pitch outs to escape the trouble.
Then, a pair of eight-pitch outs to start the seventh inning ended Wells’ night.
Wells, combined with excellent relief work from a quartet of arms, kept the Orioles in the game. Jackson Holliday tied the score with a single in the eighth. Dylan Beavers won it with a knock in the 10th for Baltimore’s second straight walk-off and its fourth in five games.
“It’s been awesome, it’s been the most fun I’ve ever had playing ball,” Beavers said. “Keep it going. Winning is fun.”
With attention effectively turned to 2026, the Orioles hope for strong finishes to the season after long injury recoveries for Wells and Kyle Bradish. Wells’ outing against the Pirates was another step in the right direction.
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox