In the final six starts of his first major-league season, Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen weathered a series of difficult outings. The Yankees beat him twice in September, hanging seven runs on him Sept. 7. Chen lost his final four decisions of the season.
Yet he’ll start Game 2 of the ALDS tonight at Camden Yards. In today’s Baltimore Sun, Eduardo A. Encina explains manager Buck Showalter’s decision to go with Chen followed by Miguel Gonzalez back in The Bronx.
Chen stands between the Yankees going for a sweep in Game 3 and the Orioles evening things.
This is a heavy burden for a 27-year-old rookie from Taiwan. He played for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball before that. Baltimore general manager Dan Duquette brought him to MLB with a three-year deal worth about $11 million.
During the first half, Duquette looked like a genius. Chen was 7-2 after 13 games with a 3.36 ERA. But he’s faded a bit as the season continued. Perhaps you can cite the workload: Chen threw 192.2 innings this season. In his previous four seasons with the Dragons, he threw 114.2 in 2008, 164 in 2009, 188 in 2010 and 164.2 in 2011.
Now he’s in the playoffs. He admitted through his interpreter to be somewhat in awe of the moment.
“I never thought I would pitch in a playoff game,” he said on Sunday afternoon. “This is really a big dream for me. I have to give credit to my teammates. They were all behind me and support me. They are the best.”
What to expect from Chen? His arsenal isn’t earth-shattering. He throws his 91-mph fastball about 65 percent of the time, an 80-mph slider 15 percent, an 84-mph changeup 14 percent, and uses a slow, 71-mph curve the rest of the time.
Chen gave up 29 homers this season. Only five American Leaguers gave up more this season.
The good news for Baltimore: Phil Hughes, a potential Game 4 starter, surrendered 35 bombs.
The bad: We might not make it to Game 4.
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