Chen music soothing to Orioles (Teagarden with walk-off HR)

Winless since June 17, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen is pitching today like the Orioles' staff ace. He pretty much inherited the title, since he's the only one left from the opening day rotation who hasn't been demoted or injured. Chen is on his game today, retiring 13 Tigers in a row as we head to the bottom of the fifth. He's allowed one hit, Prince Fielder's RBI double with two outs in the first. He's walked one and struck out five, including Jhonny Peralta and Gerald Laird in the top of the fifth. Nice timing on his part. The Orioles desperately need Chen to pitch deep into this game after last night's parade of relievers, and with the news earlier today that Jason Hammel - formerly the staff ace - will miss his next start with a sore right knee. The Orioles took a 4-1 lead in the third inning on Chris Davis' fielder's choice grounder. Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson told Buck Showalter that reliever Miguel Socolovich, whose contract was purchased earlier today, could really help the Orioles. That is, if Socolovich hangs around long enough. The Orioles will need to make a few roster moves to fill out their rotation. Chris Tillman starts Monday in Minnesota, left-hander Zach Britton is expected to start Tuesday and Brian Matusz is expected to start Wednesday. Prepare for a flurry like you haven't seen since Sugar Ray Leonard was in his prime. "It might be a challenge to keep him here," Showalter said of Socolovich. "I'm pretty sure he's got all three options." Socolovich, who tossed a scoreless inning in the International League All-Star Game, was 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA, 11 walks and 50 strikeouts in 24 games and 45 2/3 innings. He's wearing No. 58. Update: Chen escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth by retiring his final batter, Prince Fielder, on a fly ball to left field. Chen allowed one run and two hits in six innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 108 pitches, 71 for strikes. Darren O'Day has replaced Chen to start the seventh. Chen retired 15 in a row before walking Ramon Santiago with two outs in the sixth. Update II: Jim Johnson gave up three runs in the top of the ninth, though only one was earned, for his second blown save in 28 chances. Johnson, making his first appearance since the All-Star Game, was scored upon for only the second time in his last 14 appearances. Miguel Cabrera singled, and defensive replacement Ryan Flaherty committed an error at third base with one out. Jhonny Peralta followed with an RBI single, and Brennan Boesch followed with an RBI double to cut the Orioles' lead to one run. Alex Avila struck out, but Quintin Berry blooped an RBI single into left field. Endy Chavez threw out Boesch trying to score the go-ahead run. Update III: Let's all go to the 12th. The Tigers scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning on Alex Avila's two-out single off left-hander Troy Patton, who thought he had the strikeout on the previous pitch, but the Orioles pushed across the tying run in the bottom half on Adam Jones' two-out bloop single off Jose Valverde. Nick Markakis doubled again with one out, giving him a career-high three. Jim Thome was walked intentionally with two outs, and Jones followed with a looping single into left field. Taylor Teagarden, in his first at-bat with the Orioles, struck out to end the inning. Socolovich almost was tagged with the loss in his major league debut after allowing back-to-back singles to start the 11th. He got the next two outs before Patton relieved him. The Orioles were 1-for-10 with RISP before Jones' single, since 2-12. Matt Lindstrom's now pitching for the Orioles. So who's the long reliever tomorrow if Miguel Gonzalez makes an early exit? Down on the farm, Dylan Bundy allowed one unearned run and two hits, walked one and struck out eight in five innings for Single-A Frederick. Update IV: Seriously? J.J. Hardy broke an 0-for-28 slump with his first home run since June 28 to tie the game, 6-6, in the bottom of the 13th, and Teagarden hit a two-run walk-off home run after Jones was hit by a pitch from Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit. Just another day at the ballpark. Teagarden went to the opposite field, the ball bouncing off the roof of the grounds crew shed. It looked like a double initially, but it was Teagarden's first career walk-off home run. It also was his second career at-bat with the Orioles, both of them coming today. The Tigers had taken another lead in the top of the 13th on Danny Worth's double and Berry's two-out single off Matt Lindstrom. The Orioles have won 10 straight extra-inning games.