Pearce homers, and more notes (O's win 4-3)

I wrote earlier today that it was time for Steve Pearce to heat up again. He had one hit in his last 10 at-bats and three hits in his last 19. The time is now. Pearce homered off Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez with one out in the bottom of the first inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Pearce launched a 91 mph fastball into the left field seats on a 2-0 count, ending Gonzalez's streak of 22 consecutive scoreless innings. He's 3-for-7 lifetime against Gonzalez. The Orioles are 41-22 when they homer and 34-9 when they score first. Wei-Yin Chen retired the Nats in order on 11 pitches in the top of the first and on 10 pitches in the second. Sixteen of his 21 pitches have been strikes. Earlier today, the Orioles optioned Bud Norris to Double-A Bowie and recalled reliever Preston Guilmet from Triple-A Norfolk. Norris could start Monday morning for the Baysox in an 11:05 a.m. game against Richmond. He'd be working on regular rest. Norris is eligible to be recalled on July 20 in Oakland, but he's 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA in four career starts against the Athletics. He could be held back until the following night in Anaheim, since he's 3-0 against the Angels and has allowed one run in 28 innings. Left-hander Zach Britton's stretch of 29 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings at home is an Orioles record. His 21 straight scoreless appearances at home is second to Brian Matusz's streak of 27 from June 16, 2013 to May 25, 2014. Manny Machado has four straight multi-hit games, the second-longest streak of his career. He had five in a row on June 12-16, 2013. Update: The Orioles scored three runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead. All the damage came with two outs. Nick Markakis walked, Pearce singled and Jones looped an RBI double into right field. Nelson Cruz reached on an infield hit to score Pearce, and Jones raced home when Nats shortstop Ian Desmond spun and threw the ball over third baseman Anthony Rendon's head. One run off Gonzalez is unearned. Wilson Ramos singled in the top of the third after Chen retired the first seven batters. Down on the farm, Dylan Bundy has allowed two runs and two hits, walked two and struck out two in two innings at Single-A Frederick. He retired the side in order in the first. Update II: Chen gave up a two-out RBI single to Ryan Zimmerman in the fourth. He leads 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Chen has allowed one run and five hits in five innings, with no walks, five strikeouts and a hit batter. He's thrown 74 pitches, 51 for strikes. Chen has ended four innings with a strikeout and another with a double play. Bundy was charged with three runs and five hits in three-plus innings at Salem, with two walks and two strikeouts. He reached his pitch limit with 73. In two starts for the Keys, Bundy has allowed six runs and nine hits in 7 2/3 innings. Update III: Jayson Werth led off the top of the sixth with his 10th home run of the season to reduce the Orioles' lead to 4-2. Werth homered on an 0-2 pitch. Chen has served up eight homers in his last five starts. Doubles by Ryan Zimmerman and Desmond cut the lead to 4-3 and ended Chen's night after 5 2/3 innings. Update IV: Game over. The Orioles split their two-game home series with the Nats with tonight's 4-3 victory. Chen ends the first half with a 9-3 record. Zach Britton registers his 15th save. Darren O'Day pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth. He's struck out a batter in eight straight outings, a season-high for an Orioles reliever. The Orioles are 50-41 overall and three games ahead of the Blue Jays in the American League East. They're 16-13 in one-run games.