Orioles hoping to contain Butler, figure out Ventura

The Orioles have lost four straight games, which makes Wei-Yin Chen their stopper tonight in the opener of a four-game series in Kansas City. Chen is 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three road starts this season and 0-1 with a 4.60 ERA in five career starts against the Royals. He allowed three earned runs over 7 1/3 innings in his only start at Kauffman Stadiium on July 24, 2013. Billy Butler is 8-for-15 with two doubles, a triple (a triple??), two homers and four RBIs against Chen, but the left-hander isn't alone in taking this sort of abuse. "Country Breakfast" is a lifetime .318/.375/.564 hitter in 50 games against the Orioles, with 16 doubles, 10 homers and 36 RBIs. Pitch around him whenever the situation allows it. Eric Hosmer is 6-for-14 with a double and two homers versus Chen. The Orioles saw Yordano Ventura on April 25 and they got an eyeful. He tossed eight scoreless innings at Camden Yards, walking two and striking out eight. Nick Markakis and J.J. Hardy each had two hits off Ventura. So did Matt Wieters, but... you know. Markakis is 0-for-14 since his 18-game hitting streak came to an end. Chris Davis left that April 25 game with an oblique injury. An especially dark night at Camden Yards. Nelson Cruz was hit on the left elbow by one of Ventura's 98 mph fastballs, but he stayed in the game. Ventura is 2-2 with a 2.34 ERA in seven starts this year, with 32 hits allowed, 15 walks and 44 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings. An Orioles offense that scored in only three innings in a three-game series against the Tigers has its worked cut out for it. The Orioles went 3-4 against the Royals in 2013, including 1-3 at Kauffman Stadium, but they're 7-2-1 in the last 10 season series. The Orioles are 3-9 versus the American League Central this season. Down on the farm, Steve Lombardozzi extended his hitting streak to 10 games today at Triple-A Norfolk. He's starting in left field. Lombardozzi is batting .333 since the Orioles optioned him.