In Wells’ most recent start on Friday, he pitched a career-high seven shutout innings on 95 pitches while allowing just three hits to the Detroit Tigers.
The Orioles (13-7) have now won nine of their last 11 games and secured their fourth straight series win. They’ve won because of their pitching, a statement that might’ve seemed hard to believe at the beginning of the season.
The Orioles had been one strike away from sealing Friday’s victory over Detroit in the ninth inning and extending their scoreless innings streak to 35 frames, but they needed to win in walk-off fashion in the bottom of ninth.
Pitching was a concern for the Orioles early in the year, but back-to-back shutouts (and 26 straight scoreless innings) means Baltimore is now four games above .500.
Brought over in the Jorge López trade, the right-hander struggled last year and didn’t make the team this spring. A slight change in approach has made a big difference.
Three consecutive strikeouts to get out of a third-inning jam left the pitcher shouting with joy — and Orioles fans sighing with relief after a difficult few games for last year’s most reliable starter.
In the Orioles’ first 16 games, they have shown impressive offensive firepower. Yet Baltimore has scored just seven more runs than its opponents because of a pitching staff that has proven hit-and-miss. And with a few costly defensive gaffes, there’s still room to grow as the season progresses.
The Orioles' top pitching prospects continues figuring out how to handle big-league hitters, and his team registered their sixth comeback win of the young season.
“I think for us, it’s: we’re down but not out,” Rutschman said. “We did a lot of that last year and to be able to do it tonight speaks volumes about the guys we have in this locker room.”
The catcher delivered what he said was his first over-the-fence walk-off home run at any level, driving a home run 405 feet in the ninth inning to give Baltimore an 8-7 win.
Cole Irvin’s “black book” holds notes about each of his outings, and he noticed something he jotted down late in spring training that may hold the key to getting back on track.