masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgST. PETERBURG, Fla. – Wei-Yin Chen continued his dominance in the second half, shutting out the Rays on five hits over seven innings and leaving his ERA at 1.95 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break.

Chen walked one batter and struck out four. He threw 100 pitches, 73 for strikes.

The guy also fields his position. What’s not to like?

Chen has been a beast on the road. In his last six starts away from home, he’s allowed only 11 earned runs in 39 1/3 innings and has gone seven innings…ST. PETERBURG, Fla. – Wei-Yin Chen continued his dominance in the second half, shutting out the Rays on five hits over seven innings and leaving his ERA at 1.95 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break.

Chen walked one batter and struck out four. He threw 100 pitches, 73 for strikes.

The guy also fields his position. What’s not to like?

Chen has been a beast on the road. In his last six starts away from home, he’s allowed only 11 earned runs in 39 1/3 innings and has gone seven innings or more in five of those outings.

The Orioles haven’t scored since Jeremy Hellickson left the game after four innings. They continue to hold a 4-0 lead at Tropicana Field, with a chance to pull back into a second-place tie with the Rays and gain a game on the Yankees in the American League East.

Nate McLouth is 2-for-4 in his Orioles debut. Mark Reynolds has struck out three more times, giving him six in the first two games of this series.

Here’s a fun fact, courtesy of Elias: Before tonight, the last Orioles catcher to steal a base and throw out a runner in the same game was Ramon Hernandez on June 3, 2006. Hernandez threw out two runners that day. He only swiped one bag.

Update: Jim Johnson retired the side in order in the ninth to nail down a 4-0 victory.

No save for Johnson, but the Orioles will gladly take the three ground balls.