SARASOTA, Fla. -- Anybody who needed a reminder of just how potent Baltimore’s offense can be got one Tuesday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium.

For the first time in 18 games this spring, the Orioles utilized a starting lineup featuring nine players who appeared in the big leagues for them last season. They plated 11 runs and pounded out 13 hits over the first five innings of a 12-8 Grapefruit League win over the Rays.

O’s camp is filled with hot hitters at the moment, but nobody is hotter than Gunnar Henderson.

After missing the first 10 games of the spring due to left oblique soreness, the 22-year-old Henderson has raked for the past week-plus. The reigning American League Rookie of the Year went 2-for-4 on Tuesday, raising his Grapefruit average to .600 (9-for-15) in five games.

“It’s been feeling pretty good,” Henderson said. “I feel like I’m in the right spot, just feel like I’m putting myself in the right position to put a good swing on the ball.”

A lot of his teammates are feeling pretty good, too, with only 16 days until Opening Day vs. the Angels at Camden Yards.

“It’s awesome seeing guys just go out there and hit,” Henderson said. “It seems like we’re hitting a lot throughout the spring, so looking forward to carrying that into the season.”

The Orioles scored eight runs over the first two innings, going a combined 8-for-12 during that span. A five-run first was capped by a three-run homer from Jordan Westburg, who is 3-for-7 in two games since he expressed disappointment in his lack of spring offense this past weekend.

Adley Rutschman went 3-for-4 for his second consecutive multi-hit game. Ramón Urías belted his third homer of the spring, tied for the second most on the team. Ryan Mountcastle collected a pair of RBIs and Ryan O’Hearn knocked a pair of hits.

Colton Cowser, MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 overall prospect, went 2-for-3 and is now batting .478 (11-for-23) with a 1.586 OPS in 29 plate appearances this spring.

If these are all signs of things to come, the defending AL East champion O’s could put up a lot of runs during the upcoming season.

“Watching the guys swing the bat and do really well never gets old,” starter Tyler Wells said. “Especially at this time of year. I think it’s such a good confidence booster going into the year.”

Wells efficient in strong second outing
Making his second Grapefruit League start, Wells mowed down Tampa Bay’s lineup for most of the afternoon. The 29-year-old right-hander worked four innings of one-run ball, giving up only two hits, one of which was a Randy Arozarena solo homer in the fourth.

Wells threw 41 pitches (31 strikes), then tossed about 20 more in the bullpen to get closer to his expected pitch count for the day.

“He’s been throwing the ball great all spring,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Just the command of all of his pitches -- he looked really sharp today. Just that one homer, besides that, I thought he worked ahead in the count and had all of his pitches going. It’s great to see from him.”

In two spring outings, Wells has a 1.50 ERA over six innings, tightening his hold on a spot in Baltimore’s rotation. He’s confident he can carry that momentum into the regular season and replicate his strong first half from last year, when he recorded a 3.18 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in 18 outings (17 starts) before the All-Star break.

“I feel like once you do it once, you can do it again,” Wells said. “It’s all about keeping a consistent mindset. I think that’s going to be the biggest thing for me this year, is just being in tune with myself and in tune with my mind and body.”