Sensational debut: Mike Wright was dominant as O's beat Angels

If Mike Wright was nervous for his major league debut, it sure didn't show.

Trying to pitch the Orioles to a win to avoid a three-game sweep, Wright was sensational this afternoon at Camden Yards as the Orioles beat the Los Angels Angels 3-0 in front of a loud and enthusiastic crowd of 41,733.

Retiring the side in order five times, the 25-year-old right-hander pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing just three singles and a double with no walks and six strikeouts to get the victory. He threw 90 pitches, 59 for strikes, and the radar gun hit 97 and 98 mph several times.

Wright began his big league career by retiring the first nine batters he faced in three innings on just 38 pitches. Mike Trout was his first strikeout victim when he fanned on a 98 mph fastball in the top of the first.

Wright gave up a leadoff single and then a one-out double to Albert Pujols and the Angels had runners on second and third and one out in the fourth. But the O's got Kole Calhoun out in a rundown between third and home on a groundout to third, and Wright fanned Johnny Giavotella to end the threat.

Wright pitches by inning through seven: 15, 13, 10, 12, 13, 13, 8.

Wright's outing was impressive for so many reasons. He helped the O's avoid the sweep, had not pitched since May 6 and had just one run of offense to work with. His margin for error was miniscule, but he made it work today in a memorable performance.

After a one-out Matt Joyce single in the eighth, Wright left to a standing ovation as Brad Brach came on. Brach then got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. Zach Britton pitched a scoreless ninth to record his eighth save and wrap up the Orioles' second shutout following their 4-0 win May 2 at Tampa Bay.

The O's took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Adam Jones reached on a one-out infield single, went to third on Delmon Young's single and scored on a wild pitch. Jones added a two-run double in the last of the eighth to provide the O's some late insurance runs.

In this series, the O's offense produced just five runs on 15 hits.

In winning to avoid falling five games under .500, the Orioles improved to 16-19 with just their fourth victory in the last 12 games.

Now the Orioles take Monday off before this nine-game homstand continues against Nelson Cruz and the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.