SARASOTA, Fla. – Tyler Wells stood in the bullpen area after tossing a scoreless inning today, and his biggest concern was making sure that his 11-month-old daughter Ava had enough sunblock on her arms. Dad noticed that they were looking a little pink.

Wife Melissa passed Ava to Wells and he held her throughout an interview with the local media, sweat rolling down his face after breezing through the Pirates.

Getting three easy outs is nice, but it can’t beat fatherhood and family.

“There’s just nothing like it,” he said. “As you sit here and I’m holding her, it’s like, it’s just a crazy feeling. I go out there and whenever I’m playing, I’m representing them and just really grateful for it.”

Wells struck out two batters, on a changeup and cutter, while retiring the side in order in the third. He threw 10 of 13 pitches for strikes.

“Obviously, the results were good, super happy about that,” he said.  “Everything felt good. Came out on the other end. I would say a successful day out there.

“Big thing for me is execution. Going out there, execute pitches, especially this early. Just make sure I get my pitches where I need them to be. Being able to move the ball to all four quadrants.”

Rutschman challenged a Wells ball through the ABS system and got the strike. It works.

“I was stoked,” Wells said. “It’s funny to me, but for a second I thought it was a ball because Oneil Cruz isn’t short, so I thought it could have been a little low, but I’m happy that he clipped his own and I’m happy Adley saw it.”

Wells is relieved to have a normal spring training now that he’s recovered from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.

“It’s felt great,” he said. “Obviously, it’s been a little bit different the last couple years, but kind of coming in and just getting a fresh start in that way, it’s felt super nice to come in and be a part of the team. I think it was (Kyle) Bradish who said, ‘Feel like a normal person again.’”

Meanwhile, Dean Kremer had one outing today that must have felt like two.

Kremer retired the side in order in the first inning, throwing seven of eight pitches for strikes, but allowed two runs in the second after walking the bases loaded with no outs.

The final totals were two runs and no hits in two innings, with three walks and a strikeout. He threw 39 pitches, 23 for strikes.

“There’s a couple initiatives that we’re gonna work on through spring training and that was one to kind of check the box there,” Kremer said.

Kremer got three outs with three different pitches in the first. Cruz popped up a 93 mph fastball, Nick Gonzales struck out on a changeup and Ryan O’Hearn flied out on a cutter.

O’Hearn received a nice ovation from fans who appreciated his years with the Orioles. O’Hearn and catcher Adley Rutschman, staying in his crouch, put an arm around each other.

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, unfortunately. Hopefully I will before he leaves,” Kremer said.

“It’s good to see him. I’m super happy for him. He’s earned everything that he’s gotten and I’m beyond proud and happy for him.”

“That was awesome,” O’Hearn said of the applause. “It’s spring training, so I didn’t really want to take my helmet off and hold it up, but pretty cool. It means a lot to me to show support like that. It’s pretty sweet.”

O’Hearn, who signed a two-year, $29 million contract in January, hit a three-run homer off left-hander Dietrich Enns in the fifth for an 8-1 lead.

“It’s a little weird just because been here the last few years in spring,” O’Hearn said, “but cool to see everybody, cool to see the big ol’ building you guys got. It’s fancy. Fun to come back and play and see some friendly faces.”

Life has given so much to O’Hearn of late – an All-Star selection, a trade, a baby girl named Harper and a big contract.

“I checked a lot of boxes in the last year, but it’s been awesome,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of blessings in my life, and the last nine months have been pretty special.

“It’s cool being a dad, getting to take care of her. Learn how to take care of little babies. You know, I don’t think I even held a baby before.”

Kremer walked Joey Bart, Jared Triolo and Enmanuel Valdez, who fell behind 0-2 in the count, in the second inning before recording an out. Nick Yorke and Endy Rodríguez grounded into force outs to limit the damage but put the Orioles behind 2-0.

Rodríguez bounced to the mound, where Kremer looked home before going to second base and eliminating the chance at a double play. Kremer patted his chest to show that he was at fault.

Kremer will leave camp to pitch for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. He’s used to it. Getting more work early isn’t strange for him.

“The goal is 162, like having a full, healthy season,” he said. “But for the WBC it’s just about making the outs count. Here, they count but they don’t count. But in the WBC, they count. I’m probably like an outing or so ahead of everybody else. It’s not anything that’s unusual for us. I’m excited to go.”

Asked what he means to represent Israel, Kremer said, “I’ve been doing it for 11 years now, 12 years, on that national team, and anytime I get to put on that jersey, I have a great time. It’s an honor and a pleasure to do it every time asked.”

Rodríguez hit a two-run homer off Enns in the fifth inning after Yorke’s leadoff walk. O’Hearn cleared the left-center field fence, and Enns was removed after retiring only one batter – the last one faced. He was charged with six runs and four hits with two walks. Rutschman had a throwing error on a stolen base.

The Pirates didn’t have a hit through the fourth.

Yennier Cano retired the side in order in the fourth, getting a strikeout with his sinker and his cutter.

This is a much better version of Cano so far than in 2025.

Ryan Mountcastle lined to shortstop at 101.9 mph to end the first inning, so his luck hasn’t changed.

Or has it? Mountcastle led off the fourth with a double at 100.9 mph and was stranded.

Blaze Alexander led off the second with a single into right-center field, broke for second base and reached third on Gunnar Henderson’s single to the same spot. Dylan Beavers grounded into a 4-6-3 double play as Alexander scored.

Yaramil Hiraldo and Chayce McDermott each tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

Update: Levi Wells tossed two scoreless innings, working in the high 90s, and Jhonkensy Noel made a diving catch in right field in the Orioles’ 8-2 loss.

Manager Craig Albernaz on Wells: “Tyler came out and threw great. We all know his changeup is a really good pitch, but the way he attacked the zone, it’s kind of like the story of the day for us. The way Tyler came out and threw the ball was really encouraging.”

Albernaz on minor league outfielder Nate George going first to third on errant throw: “That was so much fun to watch. Everyone in the dugout perked up. Even on the fly ball, him getting out of the box and almost getting to second base. He’s got tools and I’m glad he can show them off, even when he pops out.”

Albernaz on Enns: “His stuff looked great. He was just a little quicker than usual down the mound, which is completely understandable. Different uniform. But his stuff was great.”

Albernaz on Kremer: “It was count leverage. The first inning, pounding the zone, quick outs. And the second inning he was just falling behind guys. And that was it. With Dean, we want to make sure the main thing is he’s built up to go to the WBC and get his work in. And he got his work in today.”