Orioles' Chen Tames Rangers

For the first time in a week, the Texas Rangers' bats went silent.

The Rangers had no answer for Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who came off the disabled list to throw seven sparkling innings in Baltimore's 6-1 victory Wednesday night.

Texas came into the game with a streak of six straight games with at least five runs. The Rangers tallied eight runs in each of the first two games of the series, but they couldn't mount much of anything against Chen, who allowed only one run and three hits.

"He was using his fastball on both sides of the plate. He got us. He did great," left fielder Jurickson Profar said. "It was a good outing by him. We couldn't get anything."

Chen (4-3) had not pitched since May 12 because of a strained right oblique. He showed absolutely no sign of rustiness.

"You've got to give him credit," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "He may not have pitched in a while, but he certainly didn't look like it out there tonight."

Adrian Beltre extended his hitting streak to 12 games and drove in a run for the Rangers, whose four-game road winning streak ended.

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Texas starter Josh Lindblom (1-3) gave up six runs, nine hits and four walks in 5 1-3 innings. The right-hander started for Nick Tepesch, who went on the disabled list Sunday.

"I compete, and really I think that's all you try and do as a starter," said Lindblom, who has split time between the rotation and bullpen. "You go out and give your team a chance to win."

Texas right-hander Yu Darvish joined Tepesch on the disabled list Wednesday with a strained upper back. Darvish was scheduled to start Thursday night; he will be replaced by Ross Wolf.

Nolan Reimold hit a three-run homer and Manny Machado had three hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who won for only the third time in nine games. Baltimore will seek a split of the four-game series on Thursday night.

Major league home run leader Chris Davis went 0 for 3 with a walk and is hitless in his last 17 at-bats. He hasn't gotten a hit since Major League Baseball announced he was the leading vote-getter in All-Star fan balloting.

Reimold was a late replacement at designated hitter for Chris Dickerson, who was scratched with a strained left shoulder. Batting ninth in the order, Reimold delivered his first home run since May 4 to put Baltimore up 6-0 in the fourth inning.

Reimold was on the disabled list from May 12 to July 1 and was playing in only his 37th game of the season.

"It felt good that I was able to come through," he said. "Something to build on."

The Orioles used a four-run fourth to take a 6-0 lead. Lindblom walked the first two batters before Brian Roberts hit a liner to center that bounced out of the glove of Engel Beltre and off the wall. It went for an RBI single, and Reimold followed with a towering fly ball that carried into the left-field seats, a few feet inside the foul pole.

Texas got its lone run in the sixth when Ian Kinsler walked, took third on a single by Nelson Cruz and scored when Beltre hit into a fielder's choice.

Chen used 21 pitches in a 1-2-3 first inning, and Lindblom needed 31 to get through a bottom half in which the Orioles got two singles.

Baltimore went up 2-0 in the third. After Nate McLouth beat out an infield roller and Machado tripled to center, a wild pitch allowed Machado to score.

Chen retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, allowing only a walk until Beltre singled with two outs in the fourth.

Just like old times.

"Winning the ballgame is real huge to me," Chen said through an interpreter. "I proved myself tonight. I'm healthy, and I'm back. I feel like I helped the team to win. Everything is for the Orioles."

NOTES: Machado leads the majors with 14 three-hit games. He is tied for the lead with 36 multihit games. ... Miguel Gonzalez (6-3) will take the mound for Baltimore in the series finale. ... In addition to activating Chen from the DL, the Orioles also recalled RHP Josh Stinson from Triple-A Norfolk. ... Profar, who usually plays the infield, made his second career start in left field for Texas. ... Rangers relievers retired 21 straight batters before Nick Markakis singled off Cory Burns in the sixth.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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