Even as Tyler Wells has served as the Orioles’ most consistent starter in their impressive start, his one qualm is the frequency he’s surrendered home runs. Only three major league pitchers have allowed more long balls than the Baltimore right-hander, but fortunately for the Orioles, they were facing one of them Thursday.

After Danny Jansen’s second home run of the afternoon off Wells in the top of the fifth, Adley Rutschman tied the game with a solo home run off Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to open the frame’s bottom half. Rutschman’s third hit of the game came an inning later, the second of three straight two-out singles off reliever Yimi García that gave Baltimore a one-run lead it held onto over the next two innings.Austin Hays, who delivered the first of those sixth-inning hits, provided insurance with a solo home run in the eighth, supplying the final margin in a 4-2 win.

With the rubber-game victory, the Orioles (43-25) improved to 5-1 against the Blue Jays this season and won their fifth straight series against an American League East opponent. It’s the first time Baltimore has achieved that feat in a single season since it last won the division in 2014.

“As we’re turning the corner here,” Wells said, “I think that you’re starting to see a lot of us young guys kind of step into those roles that we’re excited about it, we’re excited to go out there and face the very best. They’ve been a great team this year. They’ve got a really good lineup, and I think they’re going to be good for a long time, but I think we’re going to be just as good, if not better, for a long time.”

Aside from Jansen’s pair of solo shots, Wells was excellent, with the long ball continuing to be the one wart in the 28-year-old’s season. Wells’ 6 2/3 innings Thursday left his ERA at 3.20, with 22 of the 29 runs he has allowed this year coming via 16 home runs. No one pitch has plagued Wells when it comes to the home runs, with six off his cutter, five off his changeup, four against his four-seamer and one off his slider. Jansen hit one each off Wells’ two fastball types, the first erasing Baltimore’s 1-0 lead supplied by Gunnar Henderson’s first-inning RBI single.

Wells noted that “other than the home runs,” he’s pleased with the strides he’s taken this season, his first without restrictions after he missed 2019 because of elbow surgery and 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, spent 2021 as a reliever, and worked out of Baltimore’s rotation with innings and pitch limitations in 2022.

“I’m always continually trying to improve myself,” Wells said. “I try not to be too hard on myself, but culturally, we all are, but right now, I’m gonna enjoy it. But definitely think that there’s some things that I can do better. If you look at a lot of my home runs, it’s just been mistake pitches kind of down the middle. Danny got me on two of them today.”

But that pitch mix has been otherwise effective at recording outs. With eight strikeouts Thursday, Wells now has 82 for the season, surpassing last season’s career-high of 76 in 22 fewer innings. He entered the game as the major league leader in walks and hits surrendered per inning, with manager Brandon Hyde saying before the game he’s “on the bandwagon” for Wells to be among those who represent Baltimore in next month’s All-Star Game.

“Besides the Danny Jansen at-bats, he was absolutely fantastic, doing what he’s been doing all year,” Hyde said. “Throwing a ton of strikes, working ahead in the count, locates well, good mix with his fastball, cutter, slider, changeup. Super unpredictable and can throw all of them for strikes.”

The Orioles’ other leading candidates to make the Midsummer Classic also stood out. Rutschman, who led all AL catchers in fan votes in MLB’s first update Monday, narrowly cleared Camden Yards’ deep and tall left field wall for his ninth home run, Kikuchi’s league-high 19th allowed. It came on the anniversary of the former No. 1 overall draft pick’s first major league home run. Hays is batting .306 with an .851 OPS after his 109 mph solo shot in the eighth off Erik Swanson.

“Haysy smashed that baseball,” Hyde said. “He’s having an underrated season and a really, really good year and getting huge hits for us.”

Behind Wells, standout bullpen duo Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista handled the final seven outs. Bautista inherited a pair of runners from Cano in the eighth but retired the final four Blue Jays to earn his 18th save and finalize Baltimore’s sixth victory in seven games.

The Orioles’ five victories through six games against Toronto are as many as they earned in 19 matchups in 2021 before going 9-10 against the Blue Jays last season.

“We have better pitching that we haven’t had in the past,” Hyde said. “We’re pitching extremely well, and we have a chance every night out with five starters that give us a chance. Our bullpen has been one of the best in baseball with those two guys that pitched the two-plus innings out of the ‘pen. They’ve been great for us.”

Thursday, it started with Wells.

“He’s been very consistent,” Hays said. “Every time he goes out there, he’s not making a ton of mistakes. He’s throwing a lot of strikes. Defense is doing a good job of backing him up, and the bullpen has been pretty much lights out behind him. He’s setting the tone from pitch one.”

Around the horn

A day after he was placed on the 15-day injured list, reliever Austin Voth said this is the third time this season he’s been on anti-inflammatory medication to manage his right elbow discomfort, which he’s dealt with since spring training. He said he experienced “dull pain” and “wasn’t able to get my arm into certain positions,” but hopes a full week off from throwing will allow the injury to heal.

Right-hander Mychal Givens (right shoulder inflammation) gave up a run in 1 1/3 innings Wednesday for Double-A Bowie to start his latest rehabilitation assignment and remains scheduled to pitch Friday for Triple-A Norfolk. Right-hander Dillon Tate (right elbow flexor strain) opened his second rehab assignment with 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the Tides, striking out two and walking two.

In front of Tate, top Orioles pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning, during which he surrendered two, including a home run. He ended his afternoon with two runs allowed and 11 strikeouts in six innings. No. 8 prospect Heston Kjerstad offered support with his second Triple-A home run — the first to clear a fence after his first was an inside-the-parker.