Major League Baseball

Chen sharp for 8 innings as Orioles blank Phillies 4-0

Published Jun. 15, 2015 9:56 p.m. ET

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BALTIMORE (AP) For Wei-Yin Chen, pitching against the offensively challenged Philadelphia Phillies made up for some of the misfortune he encountered earlier this season.

Chen pitched eight innings of four-hit ball, Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer and the Baltimore Orioles beat the skidding Phillies 4-0 Monday night.

Chen (3-4) struck out nine and walked one to help the Orioles win for the ninth time in 11 games. The eight innings tied his career high and was the longest stint by an Orioles starter this month.

Zach Britton got the final three outs to seal the last-place Phillies' seventh straight defeat. Philadelphia has been blanked in three of its last four games.

Although Chen came in with a 3.21 ERA over 12 starts, he often went weeks at a time without a win. Against the Phillies, however, the Taiwanese left-hander was in complete control.

''I felt great, and all my pitches were working today,'' Chen said through an interpreter.

It was one of those rare times this season when he got a win for his effort.

''If you're consistently pitching well, then those things work themselves out,'' manager Buck Showalter said. ''Over the long haul, you'll get rewarded for it.''

The Phillies have lost 11 in a row on the road and are a major league-worst 7-27 in away games. The loss - their 17th in the last 20 games overall -dropped them a season-high 21 games under .500 (22-43).

''We need to swing the bats,'' manager Ryne Sandberg said. ''I know the guys are playing hard, hustling and trying hard. Players grinding it out, trying to turn the page.''

Rookie Maikel Franco was ejected from the game in the seventh inning by home plate umpire Eric Cooper for arguing a third-strike call. Franco also showed his displeasure in the first inning after being called out on strikes.

''I just told him three times he called that pitch a ball,'' Franco said. ''That is what happened. I wasn't happy with the first pitch he had called.''

Aaron Harang (4-8) matched zeroes with Chen until the fifth inning, when Travis Snider hit a two-out double off the glove of left fielder Cody Asche and J.J. Hardy lined a single past the outstretched arm of shortstop Freddy Galvis.

Wieters connected in the sixth to make it 4-0. After missing the first two months of the season recovering from elbow surgery, Wieters is batting 333 with two homers and seven RBIs in eight games.

"Right now, I'm just trying to see the ball well and trying to take that into the game,'' he said.

Harang gave up four runs and five hits in six innings. He's lost five straight starts for the first time since 2009.

''It was one pitch - a flat, cement-mixer slider there to Wieters,'' the right-hander said. ''I throw that ball down more, he's probably going to take that pitch for a ball.''

After rain delayed the start for 27 minutes, both pitchers went to work. Chen allowed a walk over the first three innings and Harang yielded a bunt single by Chris Davis, who was wiped out in a double play.

Manny Machado drew a leadoff walk in the fourth and reached third base with one out before Harang retired Adam Jones and Davis.

START ME UP

Phillies: Philadelphia starters haven't earned a win since May 23 at Washington.

Orioles: Chen's outing ended a run of 14 straight games in which Baltimore starters failed to go seven innings.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: RHP Chad Billingsley (forearm) is scheduled to make rehab starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday and Sunday before being re-evaluated, Sandberg said.

Orioles: 2B Jonathan Schoop (sprained right knee) will launch his rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Bowie. ''We're not going to activate him until we're 100 percent sure'' he's ready Showalter said.

ON DECK

Phillies: Jerome Williams (3-6) seeks his first win in six starts on Tuesday night in the series finale before the teams travel to Philadelphia.

Orioles: Chris Tillman (4-7) makes his first career appearance against the Phillies.

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