Wells struggles, Akin deals in O's loss at NY

NEW YORK -- As the Orioles continue to evaluate their young players over the season’s final two months, their attention at the big league level will be focused on the mound. Opportunity exists elsewhere on the roster, particularly in the middle infield. But the current outfield arrangement is going to get the chance to keep asserting itself down the stretch and a big-time prospect is inching closer at catcher. It’s the pitching staff where the most opportunity lies, not only for 2021, but for ‘22 and beyond.

How Alexander Wells and Keegan Akin factor into those plans remains an open question in terms of both impact and role. But both lefties remain in the mix for extended looks down the stretch as part of a group of young pitchers yet to separate themselves at the big league level. Tuesday’s 13-1 loss to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium featured the toughest showing yet for one and an encouraging performance from the other.

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Wells struggled in his third big league start since replacing Akin in the rotation, getting tagged for six runs in 2 1/3 innings en route to the Orioles’ most lopsided loss of the second half.

With Baltimore trailing, 1-0, Wells plunked Greg Allen to lead off the third, then gave up hits to the next four batters and five of the next six. New York scored five runs in the frame, building a lead that held as the O's mustered only four hits across six scoreless innings from Yanks emergency starter Luis Gil in his Major League debut.

“I didn’t throw enough quality strikes,” Wells said. “I fell behind a lot tonight, and when I did throw a strike, they were ready to hit it.”

Promoted after Gerrit Cole tested positive for COVID-19 late Monday night, Gil became the first Yankees pitcher since Sam Militello on Aug. 9, 1992, to debut with at least six scoreless innings. The Orioles’ lone run came via Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI double in the eighth. Mountcastle is 11-for-21 (.524) with three doubles, two homers and five RBIs over his past five games.

“Tonight wasn’t one of our better nights,” O's manager Brandon Hyde said. “[Gil] has a great arm, but we knew we had to push his fastball down and didn’t really do that. Got him in a rhythm. We were too aggressive against a pitcher with really good stuff. I didn’t think we took our best tonight.”

Akin logged three innings of one-hit ball in long relief in his crispest outing since June 4, as the former prospect looks to salvage what’s been something of a lost year. Akin showed promise despite some inefficient outings down the stretch in 2020, but he failed to make the rotation out of camp this spring and was later slowed when a kitchen knife accident sliced his pitching hand.

By late May, Akin was back in the big league rotation, going 0-5 with an 8.82 ERA in eight starts before landing on the COVID-19 injured list on July 21. Tuesday marked his second appearance (both in relief) since returning to the active roster.

"I hope he can gain some confidence from this,” Hyde said. “It’s been a tough year so far for him this year. For me with Keegan, it’s about the tempo. He’s got a quick arm. He’s got a good fastball. But he needs some secondary stuff as well. Tonight, he did."

Added Akin: “An outing like that definitely builds some confidence. It was definitely the best I’ve felt this year. I need to bottle that up, keep it and roll with it.”

Wells allowed 13 earned runs in 13 innings across three starts after assuming the fifth spot in the Orioles' rotation, which has been a revolving door all season. Previously, Akin claimed it from Dean Kremer, then Wells took over for Akin. After Tuesday's game, Wells was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, signaling the job could soon become Akin's again.

It’s also not difficult to imagine Kremer returning at some point, or Zac Lowther and/or Mike Baumann making starts down the stretch. Lowther is currently on the injured list, while Baumann is at Triple-A.

All of which makes the season’s final two months an important period for the group, which rose through the Orioles’ system more or less together as its core bundle of pitching prospects. As it stands, the O's could have up to three rotation jobs open next spring, with Matt Harvey on an expiring contract and Jorge López no guarantee to be tendered.

“I’m definitely going to learn a lot, throwing strikes more consistently and throwing more quality strikes,” Wells said. “I want to prove I can go out there and compete in the AL East against these quality teams.”