Fredi González was hoping for an easy game to manage Saturday.
Filling in for skipper Brandon Hyde, who was at his daughter’s college graduation Saturday, González’s wish was that Tyler Wells would throw a complete game, and the bench coach would hand the team back over to Hyde with a fresh bullpen.
Tyler Wells didn’t give González nine innings, but what he did provide was more than enough.
Wells, the Orioles’ best starter so far this season, pitched the finest game of his career, twirling seven magnificent innings in Baltimore’s 2-0 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
The right-hander allowed just one hit and two walks across seven innings, which tied his career-high set earlier this year. Wells struck out a career-high eight batters and got 18 swings and misses — two more than in any other start of his young career.
Baltimore’s offense provided one run more than Wells and the bullpen needed. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, both former No. 1 overall prospects, hit solo home runs in the first and second innings, respectively, to lead the offense.
The Orioles have the second-best record in the major leagues at 26-13, behind only American League East foe Tampa Bay (30-11). The start is tied for the third-best in Orioles history, and it’s nearly a month earlier than when the club won its 26th game in 2022 on June 12. Baltimore has won four straight games and 17 of its last 23.
After going three-up, three-down in the first, Wells surrendered a leadoff single to Pirates first baseman Carlos Santana in the second. The 28-year-old then retired the next 17 batters in order, the majority via soft contact. Of the 14 batted balls off Wells, eight had exit velocities slower than 94 mph and expected batting averages of .100 or worse, according to Statcast.
Wells’ streak ended in the seventh when he uncharacteristically walked back-to-back batters with two outs, as the former Rule 5 draft pick entered Saturday in the top 14% of qualified pitchers in walk rate. Pirates designated hitter Miguel Andújar nearly made Wells pay for the two free passes, hitting a long fly ball to right field. But Anthony Santander saved Wells’ day — and possibly the game — with a leaping catch at the wall.
González said his wife could tell Saturday morning that he was nervous ahead of the game despite his experience as a big league manager. González managed 1,402 games across 10 seasons with the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves between 2007 and 2016 with a 710-692 record.
“I was nervous. I’ve done it for 10 years, but this is different,” González said. “I’ve done this a couple of times in my career. The first time I did it I was on [former Florida Marlins manager] John Boles’ staff, and he had back or neck surgery and I did it for like five days in a row. And then a couple of ejections early from [Hyde]. But this is different, it’s a one-day thing.”
Hyde joked Friday that González gave him a list of relief pitchers not to use so González could use them Saturday. Hyde used closer Félix Bautista but didn’t pitch Yennier Cano. Both were available for González and he used both to shut the door.
Cano allowed a double — his first extra-base hit allowed in 19 2/3 innings — but he didn’t allow a run to keep his scoreless streak alive. And Bautista gave up a leadoff single but struck out the side for his 10th save of the season.
González isn’t surprised by how well the Orioles have played this season, saying it’s a continuation of how Baltimore ended the 2022 season.
“Sitting back and watching what we did last year, I think we kind of just carried it over,” he said. “I think we’ve just carried over the momentum, if you want to say that’s one of the reasons. We win games a lot of different ways.”
Pirates at Orioles
Sunday, 1:35 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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