Wells soaks up the emotions of Orioles' clincher

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BALTIMORE -- The door to the bullpen area at Camden Yards swung open at the start of the ninth inning on Thursday night, and out came Tyler Wells, who then took a brief pause.

The 6-foot-8 Orioles right-hander gazed around the ballpark and soaked in the atmosphere. The 27,543 fans in the stands -- nearly all of them wearing orange -- rose to their feet and cheered. But it was only a precursor to what would happen if Wells could preserve Baltimore’s 2-0 lead over Boston.

With three more outs, the O’s would be crowned American League East champions for the first time since 2014.

“I was like, ‘Wow, this could be it,’” Wells said. “I knew that I still had a job to do, but I had been hearing Birdland and hearing Camden just go absolutely nuts. I mean, there’s nothing that you’re going to do that’s going to be louder than that.”

It was Wells’ first save opportunity since Sept. 23, 2021 -- which had also been the last time he made a relief appearance at Camden Yards. Serving as Baltimore’s closer late in a 110-loss season, he picked up his fourth save with a scoreless inning vs. Texas that night.

On Thursday -- pitching on the biggest stage of his baseball career -- Wells came through, retiring the Red Sox on three consecutive groundouts. Trevor Story’s grounder to third was scooped up by Ramón Urías, who threw to first for the game’s final out.

The Orioles clinched the division title, and another chapter was added to Wells’ remarkable journey.

“He’s a great story,” manager Brandon Hyde said.

Many Baltimore fans know the tale by now. Wells was selected by the O’s in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, coming over from the Twins’ organization. At the time, the Orioles didn’t have a ton of MLB-quality arms, so Wells was given an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues in ‘21.

After pitching to a 4.11 ERA in 44 appearances as a rookie, Wells was converted to a starter in 2022, posting a 4.25 ERA in 23 starts while working under pitch restrictions. He was let loose to begin ‘23, and he was Baltimore’s best starter in the first half (a 3.18 ERA over 18 outings).

Wells, who threw 104 2/3 innings before the All-Star break, hit a wall early in the second half (an 11.00 ERA in three starts). So he was sent to the Minors for a short break, and then moved back into a relief role. He rejoined the Orioles on Sept. 22, and made his third appearance since his return on Thursday.

“Incredible,” said catcher James McCann, who was behind the plate on Thursday. “People often say, ‘How can you not be romantic about baseball?’ And that’s just another storyline that fits that narrative. We’re not in that position [Thursday] night without Tyler Wells. ...

“He looked really good, and I think he’s going to be a big piece for us down the stretch and in the postseason.”

Since All-Star closer Félix Bautista partially tore his right UCL on Aug. 25, the Orioles have been mixing and matching relievers to get through the late innings without a set closer. That group has mostly included All-Star righty Yennier Cano and lefties Danny Coulombe and Cionel Pérez, but Wells could factor into that mix in the postseason.

Wells missed the Orioles’ celebration when they clinched a postseason berth (their first since 2016) on Sept. 17. He was still with Triple-A Norfolk, trying to put himself in position for a late callup. Getting to experience Thursday’s AL East clinch, he said, is a moment he will cherish forever.

But Wells believes even bigger moments could be ahead for himself and his Baltimore teammates -- such as a championship party in late October/early November.

“All of us will never doubt our ability to win the World Series. We have shown so much grit. We have shown so much perseverance, through thick and thin,” Wells said. “I don’t think that you’re going to see a team that fights harder for their players more than what this team does. I think that’s what makes us so special, and I think that’s going to make us a force to be reckoned with.”