Chen surrenders home run, and more from Showalter (O's lead 4-3)

CHICAGO - Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has now allowed a home run in three consecutive starts after Avisail Garcia's two-run shot tonight with two outs in the bottom of the first inning gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead. Jose Abreu singled with two outs before Garcia hit his third home run of the season on a changeup, the ball traveling an estimated 337 feet to left field. Adam Jones lined a single into right field tonight with two outs in the top of the first inning. He's 6-for-14 with a double and two runs scored in his last four games. White Sox starter Hector Noesi struck out Steve Pearce and Nelson Cruz in the first. Nick Hundley is starting on back-to-back nights for the first time since July 19-21. He had two hits last night, including his third home run. Caleb Joseph most likely will be behind the plate Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. "Just like to give (Hundley) a couple days in a row before the off-day," said manager Buck Showalter. "We like both of them equally and we're lucky to have them. Try not to let either one of them get too disconnected from all the pitchers. Our guys like throwing to both of them. "Very quietly the last two or three games, he's been in a pretty good place offensively, and they both bring very similar elements defensively, so we're lucky." The Orioles will face Jake Arrieta on Friday. Arrieta has gone 6-4 with a 2.61 ERA in 19 starts with the Cubs, with 89 hits, 31 walks and 122 strikeouts in 117 1/3 innings. "It's no surprise," Showalter said. "Wish him well. I like Jake. It was a good move for both of us. We got a couple guys (Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger) who have helped us and they got a couple guys who have helped them. That's the way deals are supposed to be. We all pull for Jake. "I think everybody, it's all about timing. Scott Feldman pitched well for us and continues to pitch well. Steve Clevenger's a quality catcher, and they got a couple of good major league guys. It was a good fit for both clubs. And I don't think it surprises anybody that Jake and Petey (Pedro Strop) have done well, but timing's everything. I think it was a good move for their career, both of them, and I'm excited that it's worked out for them. I hope it doesn't work out tomorrow." The Orioles will face Tsuyoshi Wada on Sunday. He's finally healthy after undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. "He's finally gotten back to where we thought he would when we originally signed him," Showalter said. "You don't have a crystal ball about the physical part of it, so I'm happy for him. I know it was frustrating for him, the rehab he went through and not being able to get a return for the commitment we had made. But in some ways it kind of shows you why we wanted him. If he's healthy, he'll pitch real well for them and it looks like he is." The Orioles' outfielders must prepare for the ivy covered walls at Wrigley Field, which Showalter has pointed out don't include protective padding. "That's why you don't see any good catches there right at the fence," he said. "You'd have to ask them about why it's not padded. We'll do the preparation. Same thing with the mounds on the field. I doubt they even consider it a problem, so we shouldn't either." Showalter indicated that Ubaldo Jimenez likely would be used in a multi-inning role in the bullpen if the game dictated it, but everything is subject to change. "He may start. Who knows? He may start next week," Showalter said. "We said that's the way it's going to be right now and we'll see what the needs of the club are. If the need of the club is for him to pitch some innings out of the bullpen, or the need for Ubaldo is to get out on the mound and pitch. ... I don't want him to go too long without pitching and if the team needs him to start, he'll start. That's like basing everything on what somebody's ERA is on certain days rest or something. You can't become a prisoner to just one thing like that. There's a lot of variables involved." Did someone read my morning blog entry, or am I just paranoid? "He's going to pitch," Showalter continued. "It will probably be more length to start out with, but if he has a need where he needs to pitch and it's been too long, we'll bring him in if the game dictates it." In the meantime, the rotation continues to crank out the quality starts despite lacking, as one Chicago reporter mentioned today, a true No. 1 starter. "Everybody wants to put everything in a tight box and this is the way you have to do it and this has to happen there," Showalter said. "Your No. 1 pitcher is whoever's pitching that night. Do they feed off it a little bit? I'm sure a little bit. Does that mean if someone's not pitching well, that's an excuse for them not to pitch well? It doesn't work that way. "Every day's another challenge, every outing. This doesn't mean that. There may be 10 true No. 1 starters in all of baseball. And I'm probably being nice. It's more like eight. A lot of twos, a whole bunch of threes, fours and fives. But putting those numbers on them and all that, I don't believe in it. Five could be one and one could be five on a given night. That team over there doesn't always cooperate with you." Update: Steve Pearce and Nelson Cruz homered in the fourth to give the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Both home runs came on 93 mph fastballs. Pearce led off the inning with his 13th home run. He's 7-for-16 with four doubles, two homers, three RBIs and four runs scored in his last four games. Jones reached on an infield hit and Cruz launched his 33rd home run to match his career high in 2009. Cruz's ball traveled an estimated 386 feet. Update II: Make that three home runs for the Orioles, with Adam Jones adding his 24th leading off the top of the sixth inning. Orioles 4, White Sox 2 Jones' ball traveled an estimated 402 feet to right field. He's 3-for-3 tonight. The Orioles lead the majors with 161 homers. The Rockies were second with 143 before tonight. Update III: The White Sox cut the Orioles' lead to 4-3 in the sixth on Alexei Ramirez's leadoff double and Garcia's sacrifice fly. Chen has thrown 73 pitches in six innings. He's allowed four hits, ending the Orioles' streak of permitting three hits or fewer at three consecutive games.