Entering Wednesday night’s game at Camden Yards, it was Pirates starter Paul Skenes and his remarkable sophomore season that was expected to be the highlight.

Although Skenes was stellar, Orioles starter Tyler Wells also shined. But the real star was the Orioles offense, which walked it off for the fourth time in the last five games, this time Dylan Beavers hitting the winning single as the Orioles beat the Pirates 2-1 in 10 innings.

“It’s been awesome,” Beavers said. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had playing ball. So keep it going. Winning is fun.”

Prior to the heroics, Skenes pitched five innings, allowing just two hits and no runs on 64 pitches. Skenes, the favorite to win the National Leauge Cy Young Award in his first full season, is having his workload lightened in the second half of the season, so the shorter outing on Wednesday was planned.

He struck out eight and allowed a Ryan Mountcastle single in the second and a Beavers double in the third.

“He’s got really good stuff, obviously, one of the best pitchers in baseball,” Beavers said. “So we all had a plan going into it and just tried to stick to that plan. I faced him a few times, so I had a clue of what to expect. Yeah, just try to keep it simple, try not to do too much.”

In his second start since undergoing elbow surgery in June 2024, Wells pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one run. Wells was perfect his first time through the order, including striking out the side in the third. His only blemish occurred in the fourth, when Spencer Horwitz went low to grab Wells’ cutter and hit it 386 feet to the flag courts.

From there, Wells allowed only one other runner, walking Ji Hwan Bae in the sixth.

“It was so efficient,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “The command, he threw a 1-0 slider at one point and I told [bench coach Robinson] Chirinos, ‘This is the big leagues; this is hard.’ For him to throw that pitch in that spot coming off surgery and doing the whole deal, it’s just …

“And it kind of feels like he picked up where he left off.”

Wells exited to a standing ovation, the home crowd, seeing him for the first time in over two years, welcoming him back and recognizing the stellar outing.

It was Wells’ longest outing since May 15, 2023, and his first time pitching at Camden Yards since April 12, 2024.

“There’s nothing like coming to the yard and being back with the fans here in Baltimore,” Wells said. “I was very excited all week to kind of get this one going. Even though it was a little bit of a longer rest in between, it kind of just felt like forever, the anticipation. So I’m just really happy to be back out there with the fans here and just really grateful for them to come out and support tonight.”

The Orioles have had success of late due to the addition of two quality starters. And, with two solid outings now from Wells, who allowed two runs in five innings in his season debut in San Diego last week, and three from Kyle Bradish, who allowed one run in seven innings in his third start back from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery on Tuesday, the Orioles’ pitching plans for 2026 are starting to become brighter.

Although it is a small sample, and it’s uncertain if Wells’ future will be as a starter or a reliever, knowing these two are healthy and can pitch at a high level again gives the Orioles two additional pitchers they can count on next season.

After Skenes was removed, the Orioles didn’t have much luck against the Pirates’ bullpen until the bottom of the eighth. Colton Cowser and Dylan Carlson hit back-to-back singles to open the inning, and Jackson Holliday drove in a run to tie the score.

Rico Garcia took care of business in the top of the ninth, but the Orioles offense went down in order in the bottom of the inning to send the game to extras. Albert Suárez got the Orioles through the top of the 10th, setting them up with a chance to win the game.

With Jorge Mateo at second to start the inning, Cowser walked and Daniel Johnson bunted to load the bases. Then Beavers, a rookie with a veteran-level approach, stayed patient. He knew what he was looking for — a fastball down the middle of the strike zone — and on the eighth pitch of the at-bat, it finally came.

He sent it down the right-field line, the ball sailing past a diving first baseman. Beavers’ arm was in the air before he even made it to first — he knew immediately he had done enough to help the Orioles win, again.

His teammates met him in the infield, ready to drench him to celebrate his first major league walk-off.

“I knew I wasn’t getting away from the Gatorade, so I was ready for it,“ Beavers said. ”But it was awesome. I’ve had walk-offs in the past coming up [through the minors], but it’s the big leagues. It’s what you dream of. That’s where you want to get those hits or come through in those situations. So it’s pretty, pretty awesome, special for me.”

This article has been updated.