Orioles 3 - 4 Royals
Final
  for this game

Chen aims to stay in win column as Orioles battle Royals

Jul 24, 2013 - 2:12 PM (Sports Network) - Taiwan-born southpaw Wei-Yin Chen aims for a fourth consecutive win on Wednesday night when the Baltimore Orioles visit Kauffman Stadium for the third of four games with the Kansas City Royals.

The 28-year-old dropped an 8-3 decision at Seattle on May 1 and picked up a no-decision against Kansas City six days later, but he's won three straight since while allowing just two runs on 16 hits against Minnesota, Texas and Texas again.

In fact, Chen has won five of his last six decisions since opening 2013 at 0-2.

In the most recent outing against the Royals, he allowed two runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings - a game Baltimore ultimately won, 4-3.

In three career meetings with Kansas City, he's 0-1 with a 5.82 earned run average across 17 complete innings of work.

On Tuesday, Mike Moustakas' early RBI double proved to be the difference, and Greg Holland dodged a bullet in the ninth, as Kansas City clipped Baltimore, 3-2.

Eric Hosmer collected a pair of hits and Chris Getz also drove in a run for the Royals, who have won three of their last five. Bruce Chen (4-0) scattered three hits and one run with four strikeouts over six innings to remain unblemished in 2013.

Holland picked up his 25th save, but not without some effort. Nick Markakis singled to start and scored on Adam Jones' triple to the gap in left center, but Chris Davis fanned swinging, J.J. Hardy grounded to third and Henry Urrutia grounded to first to end the game.

Manny Machado hit a solo homer for the Orioles, whose five-game win streak came to a halt. Jason Hammel (7-7) was tagged in the loss for 10 hits and three runs, walking four and fanning four over his six-inning outing.

Starting for the Royals on Wednesday is veteran Ervin Santana, who meets the Orioles for the 14th time in the 253rd start of his career.

He's won four of nine decisions against Baltimore while allowed 49 earned runs and striking out 57 batters in 82 1/3 innings.

Santana was 3-5 to begin the season through 10 starts, but has since won three of four decisions in his last nine outings.

He was a 1-0 winner over Detroit in his last appearance on July 19, working 7 1/3 innings of scoreless two-hit ball with a walk and a strikeout.

The Orioles won two of three from the Royals when the teams met in May at Camden Yards. Baltimore also won the season series in 2012, 5-4.






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