ATLANTA (AP) - Wei-Yin Chen combined with four relievers on a seven-hitter and the Baltimore Orioles continued their success in interleague play by beating the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Sunday.
The Braves, who have lost six of seven, were shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since June 5-6, 2009. Jason Hammel threw a one-hitter in a 5-0 victory for the Orioles on Saturday night.
The Orioles, who began the day 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East, have won seven of eight. They are 9-3 in interleague play with series wins over Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
Chen (7-2) gave up six hits and one walk in seven innings to outpitch Randall Delgado (4-7), who allowed only two runs and three hits in eight innings.
Jim Johnson pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save. Darren O'Day, Troy Patton and Pedro Strop combined for a scoreless eighth.
Delgado's eight innings matched his longest start. He walked one batter and struck out six.
Adam Jones led off the second with a ground-rule double to right field. After moving to third on Wilson Betemit's fly ball, Jones scored on Mark Reynolds' sacrifice fly.
A misplay by Matt Diaz helped Baltimore stretch the lead in the sixth. Diaz ran in before stopping too late and watching a line drive by Steve Pearce sail over his head for a double to the left-field wall. Pearce advanced on a sacrifice by Chen and scored when Delgado balked, stepping off the mound to wipe his chin, with Robert Andino at the plate.
One day after being shut out by Hammel, the Braves sputtered again as they hit into double plays in each of the first three innings.
Atlanta botched a scoring opportunity in the third. David Ross and Andrelton Simmons led off the inning with singles before Delgado bounced a bunt too hard toward Chen, who threw to third to start a double play. Simmons advanced to third on a throwing error by Andino at second base, but Michael Bourn ended the inning on a groundout.
The third was the only inning in which the Braves managed more than one hit. Simmons made a tough grab of a sharply hit grounder to shortstop by Jones and bounced up to throw him out at first to end the inning.
Eric O'Flaherty, who had been out with a sore left elbow, got one out in the ninth in his first appearance for Atlanta since June 8.
NOTES: The Braves placed RHP Brandon Beachy on the 15-day disabled list and recalled RHP Todd Redmond from Triple-A Gwinnett. Beachy will have an MRI on Monday. ... 1B Freddie Freeman said the swollen knuckle on his left index finger has improved ``a lot.'' He missed his fourth straight start. ... Andino started in place of 2B Brian Roberts, who was given a day off. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said it was ``prudent'' to be careful with Roberts, who returned Tuesday from the 60-day DL (concussion). ... Delgado also lasted eight innings on May 3, giving up two runs in a loss to Philadelphia. ... The Orioles open a three-game series at the Mets on Monday night, with RHP Jake Arrieta facing R.A. Dickey. The Braves also head to New York to face the Yankees, who swept three games in Atlanta last week. Mike Minor will face CC Sabathia.
