SARASOTA – Tyler Wells wants to get started. In his relief role.

Wells allowed a leadoff single today to Myles Straw in the top of the first inning and retired the next three batters on a grounder and two fly balls to left field. The last of his 10 pitches was a four-seam fastball clocked at 94 mph.

The scoreless streak has reached six innings, with only two hits, no walks and eight strikeouts. The right elbow feels good after a second reconstructive surgery. His mental state also is stronger than ever due to his training strategies with a conditioning coach. And the results look fantastic.

“Right now I’m really antsy to just kind of get into season and carry over the momentum,” Wells said. “I know it’s spring training and all, but being able to face top of the lineup today definitely gave me a little bit of the feel of getting into full-on games, regular-season games. So really happy about that and really excited.”

Wells is ready for anything and is proud to be trusted in a variety of roles. He’s going to work out of the bullpen but can be a consumer of innings, be used as a setup man or asked to close. He also can start if there’s a need for him in the rotation.

“I would say that a lot of it is taking pride in my mentality,” he said. “I think for me, being able to be as consistent in that as I am right now is important. I invested a lot of time and money into my mental performance this offseason, working with a coach, and it’s been paying a lot of dividends, as you guys can see.

“It’s just make sure to stay on top of that and continuing to go out there and execute that on and off the field.”

Wells sought help from Brian Cain, one of the world’s foremost authorities on mental performance, in Arizona – a decision he made after consulting last year with teammate Trevor Rogers.

“Kind of seeing what it did for him,” Wells said.

“As we’re all trying to continue to pick and learn from each other, that’s something that going through rehab, going through an extensive rehab at that, I think it’s definitely beneficial as you’re kind of coming back into season having a full regular offseason. You want to make sure you’re as primed and as ready to go as ever. So working with a mental performance coach made a lot of sense.

“I got introduced to him through my agent and he’s done a lot of work with some really successful people in this game, and you can see why. His system works and it’s been working well for me and just really grateful to be in the position I am to be able to invest in myself like that.

Ryan Helsley worked the second inning and stranded Rafael Lantigua after a two-out, ground ball single into right field. He struck out Charles McAdoo on a fourth consecutive slider before Lantigua poked a slider through a vacant area on the right side of the infield.

The first pitch of the inning was a 96.6 mph fastball, and it climbed to 97.1 mph against Lantigua, who was thrown out by Samuel Basallo trying to advance on a ball in the dirt. Helsley was done after 14 pitches, 10 for strikes.

Helsley hasn’t allowed a run in four innings.

Jackson Kowar surrendered his first run in the third inning on Arjun Nimmala’s leadoff infield hit and stolen base and Jesús Sánchez’s two-out single. Kowar struck out one.

The four-seamer topped at 98.5 mph and the sinker at 97.7 mph.

Blue Jays starter Cody Ponce retired all nine batters he faced. Outfielder Taylor Ward doubled to left field at 105.2 mph in the fourth inning but was stranded at third base.

Colton Cowser lined a single into right field at 108.5 mph with two outs in the sixth and also was stranded. Pete Alonso led off the seventh with a single into right field at 105.5.

*Manager Craig Albernaz said he struggled to fall asleep last night after watching Team USA’s 9-1 victory over Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic.

His shortstop, Gunnar Henderson, went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.

“I’ll tell you one thing, it was a good thing we had a show-and-go planned today after the split-squad and daylight saving, because I couldn’t sleep. I was fired up watching it. It was so cool,” Albernaz said.

“So cool for Gunnar and also the rest of the fans to see what Gunnar can do on the big stage and the impact player we all know he is. And to see him do that on that stage was awesome.”

The sensations were even more intense for Henderson in his first start for a star-studded Team USA. That’s the impact that the WBC has on its players.

“You don’t get those emotions in spring training and spring training games,” Albernaz said. “So to see those emotions, especially the hustle double like that, I think that just shows how he plays the game. And on that stage, that’s why WBC is so cool, to kind of get thrust into those competitive environments.”

*Former Orioles coach and manager Sam Perlozzo is spending his last day in camp as a guest instructor before returning to his Tampa home.

Perlozzo, 75, was third base coach under manager Davey Johnson beginning in 1996 before moving into the dugout as bench coach and becoming interim manager in August 2005 when Lee Mazzilli was fired. The Cumberland native was dismissed on June 18, 2007 and replaced by Dave Trembley.

The Phillies hired Perlozzo as third base coach in 2009 and moved him to the first base box in 2011. The Twins hired Perlozzo as minor league infield and baserunning coordinator in December 2013, returning him to the organization that signed him and brought him to the majors in 1977 for 10 of his 12 career games.

Albernaz contacted Perlozzo about coming to spring training.

“We’re excited to have Sam,” Albernaz said. “When we were going over the guest coaches, I asked if there were any former coaches that were around. Sam’s name was a slam dunk for him to be here. It was awesome to have him here, just talk ball with him and have him be around. And also, he did work for Minnesota, too, so it was good for him to catch up with some of those guys and stuff. So it’s just great to have him around.”

Perlozzo has been out of baseball for about six years, since the COVID pandemic. He admitted to going into hiding a little bit, detaching himself from the game he used to love.

“But then you learn that it was a fun time, a great time with great players,” he said. “Where are you going to go to have that kind of stuff? I’m tickled to be here and go forward and learn. I have learned about how to watch a ballgame. I’m not sure that I have all the rules down.”

Perlozzo was regarded as an exceptional infield coach, lauded by many of his former players, including second baseman Brian Roberts, who will be in camp this week.

Asked whether he feels a kinship with the Orioles, Perlozzo said, “Absolutely, without a doubt.” Then came a smile and a quip.

“If I go to the Hall of Fame, I’ll go in with Baltimore,” he said.

“It’s like anything else. You start out with nothing in the beginning and you keep working. What I’m doing right now, I didn’t know very many of those players at all, so I go around, I get the infield guys, we talk, I listened to them, and then we both learn a little bit as we go. And that’s where we are again.”

Perlozzo was asked yesterday to take out the lineup card and he declined.

“I said, ‘No, I’m not gonna get tossed out in the first game.”

Perlozzo couldn’t do a deep dive into the team in just a few days, but said that based on what he’s seen and what’s going to take hold, “you stay away from injuries, you’re gonna have some fun in this town.”

Positive impressions also were made by Albernaz.

“He’s not a bit bashful to do anything, you know?” Perlozzo said. “He goes in, he talks to you, he gives you a chance to do your own thing again, which is a sign of a good manager. I don’t see any fear in his eyes. I think just like anything else, the players are gonna have some fun with him.”

The Sarasota complex certainly is an upgrade over Perlozzo’s old spring home in Fort Lauderdale.

“Slightly,” he said, smiling again.

Update: Jhonkensy Noel singled in the ninth inning and was stranded in a 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays.

Cameron Foster walked the first batter he faced in the eighth and struck out the next three on sliders. He hasn’t allowed a run in his five innings.

“He’s been a great showing, too,” Albernaz said. “The stuff, the deception is real. That’s something where it’s tough to quantify, but the ball just jumps on the hitter. And when he’s right, he’s landing his off-speed in zone to keep guys honest because the fastball is real.”

Anthony Nunez allowed a hit and struck out two batters on changeups in the ninth.

Vance Honeycutt lined out to left field in the eighth to make him 5-for-6 with four home runs and a walk.

Cowser went 1-for-3 today and is 5-for-15 in his last five starts and 4-for-9 in the last three.

“I think the big thing right now is it’s been more approach than swing,” he said. “Just been meeting with the hitting guys and we’re trying to develop a good routine, a good plan on diagnosing. So like in the cage, if one thing is happening with the ball flight, diagnosing it by going through a check list on, OK, it’s this or it’s this. Just kind of been harping on that.

“So swing feels pretty good. Just not worrying about it in game, but more so attacking it before the game.”

Said Albernaz: “He’s fine-tuning it. He’s trending in the right direction. Doing a lot of great work with Dustin (Lind) and Brady (North). We’ll try to find the best approach for each pitcher and stay within that, and that’s the biggest challenge for any hitter is to stay committed to that approach and during that at-bat.”

Asked about Wells’ versatility, Albernaz spoke about the value of “those Swiss army guys.”

“For Wellsy, it’s very valuable for us, where he can pitch in leverage, he can go multiple,” he said. “In having that stamina and also the pitchability to do that is extremely valuable for us.”