Wei-Yin Chen trying to lead Orioles to series win

I'll spare everyone the usual lecture about how it all starts with starting pitching. But it really does.

You saw what Tyler Wilson did in the opening game of the series in Oakland. You saw how Miguel Gonzalez didn't make it through the sixth last night, his ERA now at 5.48 in his last nine starts. He's failed to complete six innings in seven of those outings.

Wilson received nine runs of support. The Orioles were shut out last night. That's the rest of the story.

The Orioles are 4-32 when they score two runs or fewer. They've played 106 games. That's a significant chunk.

Wei-Yin Chen will try to continue his dominance of the Athletics. He's 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA in five career starts and 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts in Oakland.

Chen also will try to slow his tendency to give up the longball. He's surrendered five home runs in his last two starts covering 8 2/3 innings and 22 this season, which ranks eighth in the majors.

In Chen's last two starts, he's allowed eight runs and 16 hits in 8 2/3 innings, with one walk and nine strikeouts. In his last three starts, he's allowed 11 runs and 26 hits in 15 innings, with one walk and 12 strikeouts.

Billy Butler is 8-for-19 with two doubles, a triple and two home runs against Chen. Sam Fuld is 3-for-15 and Josh Reddick is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts.

Athletics right-hander Kendall Graveman is 6-7 with a 3.84 ERA in 17 starts. The Blue Jays selected him in the eighth round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Mississippi State, which enables him to bond with Orioles manager Buck Showalter. They can talk Bulldogs baseball.

Graveman had an uneven July. He tossed seven scoreless innings against the Mariners and allowed one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings against the Indians. He also allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays and four runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings against the Giants.

Graveman is 2-4 with a 4.63 ERA in eight starts at home this season and 4-3 with a 3.10 ERA in nine starts on the road.

Graveman faced the Orioles twice as a reliever last season and allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. J.J. Hardy doubled in his only at-bat. Adam Jones and Ryan Flaherty are 0-for-1.