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Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (pictured) was on his way to his second strong performance in a row when he grabbed at his side and exited Sunday's game with a right oblique strain. That's very bad news for a team that already has called on four Triple-A starters to fill in the fifth slot in the rotation and replace injured Miguel Gonzalez. It was a tough week already, after so-so outings by Jason Hammel, Freddy Garcia and Steve Johnson, and that was reflected in the combined numbers. The rotation posted a 2-2 record with a 6.03 ERA and averaged just five innings per start. Even though the team managed to go 4-2 in those games, this is starting to get scary.
Grade: D (Hannah Foslien / Getty Images /May 12, 2013)
Arrieta – who emerged as the front runner for the team’s open No. 5 starter position – pitched six scoreless innings in an eventual scoreless 10-inning tie with Pittsburgh.
Arrieta stranded five runners in scoring position and escaped two-on, one-out jams in both the fourth and fifth innings. Sanchez held the Orioles to two hits – both of them singles by third baseman Manny Machado – in five innings.
The Orioles had the best opportunity to score in the bottom of the ninth with runners on second and third with two outs, but catcher Chris Robinson hit a hard comebacker off Pirates pitcher Justin Wilson, but Wilson was able to recover and throw to first to beat Robinson and keep the game scoreless.
Orioles reliever Luis Ayala retired all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings and left-hander Troy Patton tossed two scoreless innings for Baltimore.
