The Orioles rode another roller coaster today in Kansas City, taking an early lead, falling behind, moving ahead again and holding on for dear life.

When it slowed to a stop, they had an 8-6 win over the Royals that enabled them to claim the series after losing three of four in Cleveland. They’re 12-13 going into the off-day.

A loss would have put the Orioles three games below .500 for the second time this season.

Tyler Wells tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, stacked on top of his two scoreless with five strikeouts Sunday against the Guardians. With closer Ryan Helsley away from the team, and after working back-to-back nights, rookie Anthony Nunez earned his first major league save by stranding a runner after Coby Mayo’s two-out throwing error.

All he had to do was strike out Bobby Witt Jr.

Here are some observations from home.

A fast start is possible.

The Orioles scored three runs in the first inning before today’s game, easily their lowest total.

Taylor Ward doubled to the left field fence with one out, 394 feet away, Dylan Beavers flied to center field at 406 feet and Pete Alonso homered to right-center at 410 feet and 106.9 mph off the bat.

Ward leads the majors with 13 doubles. Alonso hit his third homer with the Orioles.

Alonso was back at first base today after Mayo pinch-ran for him Monday and played first last night.

Michael Wacha allowed only two homers in 27 innings before today. He surrendered only three runs.

Vinnie Pasquantino was 0-for-16 since homering Friday at Yankee Stadium. He stepped to the plate in the bottom of the first and launched a Chris Bassitt sinker 422 feet to right field.

Who knew that the first would be the action inning? The Royals had scored only one run in the first before today.

Samuel Basallo is putting aside the power.

Basallo had a couple of run-scoring hits Monday to the opposite field, exhibiting outstanding bat control and a mature approach. MASN analyst Ben McDonald, also remembered as the first-overall pick in the 1989 draft, said Basallo played his best game in the majors that night.

In the sixth inning today, Alonso drew a four-pitch walk with one out and Basallo flicked a 2-2 changeup into right field for a single. The swing was reminiscent of Rod Carew, which isn’t one of Basallo’s comps.

Basallo is capable of knocking the cover off the ball but also can direct it to all fields.

The at-bat was big. Leody Taveras tied the game with a single, racing to second base on the throw, and Jeremiah  Jackson followed with a two-run single for a 5-3 lead. Wacha was done.

Wacha was charged with a sixth run after he left because Kansas City’s bullpen is trash. His ERA rose from 1.00 to 2.51.

Mayo is making loud contract again.

Mayo lined out to third baseman Maikel Garcia at 107.8 mph in the third inning. Didn’t do much for his barrel rate or his slash line, but he smoked a first-pitch slider.

An out is an out. I get it. But it’s good to see him making the kind of contact that was common in spring training.

Better results came last night with his 439-foot, three-run homer in the second inning at 114.2 mph. And he topped it today in the sixth with another three-run shot – this one off reliever Eli Morgan – that cleared the fountains in left field at 452 feet.

It was only 110 mph.

Mayo has special power and he’s unlocked it.

And how about Colton Cowser?

Cowser grounded into a double play in the ninth inning last night at 103.2 mph. Manager Craig Albernaz was encouraged by the at-bat.

Cowser struck out today in the second inning, but he doubled in the fifth at 112.5 mph after getting ahead 2-0 in the count. Two curveballs missed and he barreled a fastball for his first hit since April 14.

The next three batters were retired to keep the Royals ahead 3-2.

The sixth inning rally included Cowser’s single on an 0-2 changeup from Morgan. He shortened his swing and poked the ball into right field. Mayo followed with the monstrous home run.

The Orioles are waiting for Cowser to get hot. He was batting .192 with a .502 OPS after the single.

Today marked his second multi-hit game this season, the other coming on April 11.

Is it against the rules to play an easy game?

The Orioles couldn’t do it on the road trip and certainly not in Kansas City.

They led 8-3 going to the bottom of the sixth and Carter Jensen homered to center field leading off the inning. Yennier Cano inherited a runner, and No. 9 hitter Kyle Isbel homered to right field.

Just like that, the lead was 8-6 and Bassitt’s ERA was 6.75. He was charged with five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3, his longest outing as an Oriole.

Cano hadn’t surrendered a home run in his first 11 appearances. He threw a four-seam fastball to Isbel, a pitch he had gone to only five times among 103 this season before today.

I need a break from Eric Byrnes.

I’ll be glad to return to my press box seat at Camden Yards.

Sorry, that’s “baseball legend” Eric Byrnes.

A fun guy to cover with the Orioles in 2005, when he hit .192 in 52 games, but a little goes a long way.

Trivia question and immediate answer: Who did the Orioles trade to acquire Byrnes?

Outfielder Larry Bigbie went to the Rockies.