Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
There is no doubt in the Baltimore Orioles offensive ability. Sure they get shut down every now and then but overall they are one of the more explosive offensive teams in all of Major League Baseball. When you look from there to the starting pitchers you kind of have to give a little shrug. Eh, not quite as consistently reliable on that side of the baseball for sure. Just as they were beginning to hit a losing skid Wei-Yin Chen made his return from the disabled list and for the effect it had on the Orioles he might as well be Superman.
It’s not like he came back against a team that relies on a few timely hits and great pitching to win games. The Texas Rangers are not too shabby offensively themselves. In the first two games of the Rangers and Orioles series the Texas boys had scored a combined 16 runs. Chen walked back into that atmosphere and allowed one tiny run over seven strong innings. Going back to last season the Orioles are 11 – 0 when Chen goes at least seven innings. What a great time to get him back for this team.
Sitting currently at 5.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles needed something in a big way to help their starting pitching. Enter Chen and just like that the Orioles look like contenders once again. Everyone needs a stopper, someone that will make a long losing streak a near impossibility. For the Orioles that man is Chen. Having him back will give them a huge boost right when they needed it the most. He didn’t wear a cape to the mound but he might as well have. He couldn’t have timed this super-feat any better if he tried.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.
