Chen, 'pen lift O's past Yanks

BALTIMORE - Wei-Yin Chen doesn't understand the rivalry the Baltimore Orioles have with the New York Yankees. Nor does he appreciate the jealousy Orioles fans experience when Yankees rooters invade Oriole Park.

That didn't matter on Tuesday because he beat the Yankees.

Not only did Chen beat New York, he beat CC Sabathia, who normally terrorizes the Orioles.

Except these are the new Orioles. After Baltimore's 5-2 win over New York before 24,055, Chen was all smiles.

He's 4-0, and he was much better against the Yankees this time than he was in his major league debut against them on April 10. Then, he allowed two earned runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings. In his second start against them, he gave up just four hits and two runs.

"The first time, the debut I was so nervous. This time, I was just like I've had this experience, so everything was fine with me," Chen said through his interpreter.

Manager Buck Showalter came out to relieve Chen at the start of the eighth inning. The ovation Chen received probably wasn't as large as it would have been against another opponent.

"It doesn't matter which team if I can keep pitching good and we can get those 'W's,' that's the best part," Chen said.

The Orioles (23-14) are tied for first place in the AL East with Tampa Bay, and they've just concluded a challenging segment of their schedule with a 9-6 record against the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers and Rays.

Entering the game, Sabathia (5-1) was 16-2 against the Orioles, and 10-1 here.

Adam Jones, who is hitting .342 against Sabathia, cracked his 11th home run in the second. It was his third against Sabathia.

The Orioles took a 2-0 lead in the third when Steve Tolleson scored on J.J. Hardy's double play grounder, and added a third in the fifth on Hardy's RBI double.

In the sixth, Hardy's infield single with the bases loaded scored Xavier Avery, and gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead.

Chen allowed two singles in the third, then retired 10 straight until Robinson Cano led off the seventh with a double, and two batters later, Curtis Granderson drove a ball just off Avery's glove in left for his 13th home run. In his third major league game, Avery got to experience Yankee interference - or so he and Showalter thought.

"I had a shot," Avery said. "But they had that 10th man out there helping them out, but it's all right. It didn't help them win."

Showalter, who would love to drive Yankees and Red Sox fans out of Oriole Park, knew he had no chance of winning an argument.

"I knew what the answer was going to be. The ball would have carried out of the ballpark if nobody's standing there," Showalter said. "I don't know if it was somebody in midnight blue or black and orange there. I've got an educated guess, so our goal was to play well enough so they can't get a ticket."

Pedro Strop worked the eighth, and Jim Johnson the ninth for his 12th save of the season.

Jones scored the Orioles' final run in the seventh on a single, stolen base, infield out and passed ball by Yankees catcher Chris Stewart.

"We need that stuff, too. You can't always hit home runs," Jones said. "You can't always drive the ball."

NOTES: The Orioles play in Kansas City on Wednesday and Thursday with Tommy Hunter and Brian Matusz starting against Felipe Paulino and Luke Hochevar. After the quick two-game trip, the Orioles play in Washington against the Nationals.

They'll face Stephen Strasburg on Sunday.

Showalter said he's looking forward to the Orioles-Nationals series. "If it's important to our fans, it's important to us," he said.

Nolan Reimold may receive a second epidural injection. The timetable is uncertain. ... Matt Lindstrom's injury has been reclassified as a slight ligament tear to his right middle finger.

Zach Britton threw 47 pitches in a four-inning, extended spring training start. He also threw another 20 pitches in the bullpen. Britton could return to the Orioles early next month.