Chen makes first start in Toronto

Wei-Yin Chen has never pitched in Toronto. Orioles manager Buck Showalter should try to convince him that the club returned to Seattle for a one-game series. Four cities in four days. It could happen. Chen is coming off two outstanding starts against the Mariners, allowing one run over 15 1/3 innings with two walks and 11 strikeouts. Criticized in the past for not getting deep into games, he's worked into the eighth inning in back-to-back outings. Chen's 12 victories this season tie him for second in the majors with a group that includes Felix Hernandez, Sonny Gray, Zack Greinke, Jered Weaver, Scott Kazmir, John Lackey and Masahiro Tanaka. No one outside of Baltimore seems to have noticed. Chen has gone 9-1 in 15 starts since May 3, but he's failed to complete six innings in seven of them. Maybe that's the reason. Or wins are overrated. Whatever. The guy is 12-3 with a 3.76 ERA. In his only career start against the Blue Jays, Chen allowed five earned runs in five innings and took the loss on Sept. 24, 2012 at Camden Yards. But in nine road starts this season, he's gone 6-1 with a 3.93 ERA in 50 1/3 innings. Only three current Blue Jays have faced Chen. Former Oriole Danny Valencia is 2-for-7 with a double. Toronto starter Drew Hutchison is 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA in five career starts against the Orioles, with four runs allowed in 31 innings. Current Orioles are batting .216 against him. Jonathan Schoop (1-for-7) has the only home run. Nelson Cruz is 2-for-12 and Chris Davis is 2-for-11. Davis is likely to bat seventh again tonight. It seemed to do him some good last night. A victory tonight would give their Orioles a sixth consecutive series win. They're 22-9 since June 30.