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Chen Sharp As Orioles Beat Rays 7-1

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Wei-Yin Chen took a four-hitter into the seventh inning and the Baltimore Orioles got their offense back on track against Chris Archer in a 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy each had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the Orioles, who were coming off a three-game series against Toronto in which they scored only five runs in 30 innings.

In this one, Baltimore built a 6-0 lead over the first three innings and coasted to the finish. The Orioles had 13 hits, including five doubles.

It was by far the worst of Archer's 30 big league starts. The seven runs and 12 hits he allowed were both career highs, and his ERA jumped from 1.38 to 4.50.

The performance came less than two weeks after the Rays gave Archer a six-year contract that guarantees the right-hander $25.5 million.

Chen (2-1) retired his first 10 batters and didn't allow a hit until James Loney doubled with one out in the fifth. The left-hander gave up one run, five hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings.

In his previous two starts, Chen yielded eight runs and 21 hits in 10 2/3 innings.

He was facing a Tampa Bay team that has been struggling at the plate. The Rays have scored only 14 runs in their last eight games and have tallied three runs or fewer in seven of the last eight.

Tampa Bay's only run came in the sixth inning when Ben Zobrist walked and scored on a single by Evan Longoria.

The outcome, however, was decided long before that.

Wieters gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI single in the first inning, and Baltimore added three runs in the second. Hardy doubled and Ryan Flaherty sliced an RBI single past the drawn-in infield before Nelson Cruz and Chris Davis delivered run-scoring doubles.

Doubles by Wieters and Hardy, followed by Steve Lombardozzi's RBI single, made it 6-0 in the third.

Singles by Wieters, Hardy and Flaherty gave the Orioles a 7-0 cushion in the fifth. The seven runs were more than the Orioles scored in 11 of their previous 12 games.

NOTES: RHP Jake Odorizzi, scheduled to start Tuesday night for Tampa Bay, experienced flu-like symptoms and was sent back to the team hotel as a precaution. It appeared to be the same virus that sidelined Rays reliever Joel Peralta last weekend. ... Miguel Gonzalez is slated to start for the Orioles on what is projected to be a cold, wet Tuesday evening. ... Orioles 3B Manny Machado (knee) ran six 90-foot sprints in Florida and is slated to run from home to second base Tuesday, manager Buck Showalter said. ... Tampa Bay optioned LHP Jeff Beliveau to Triple-A Durham and recalled RHP Brad Boxberger from the same minor league club. ... Tampa Bay OF Brandon Guyer was interviewed before the game by D.C. sports anchor Lindsay Murphy, who is also his wife. ... Since the start of last season, the Rays are 14-1 when Archer goes at least six innings and 2-9 when he doesn't.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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