Orioles 6, Athletics 1
Wei-Yin Chen struck out a career-best 12 in 5 2/3 innings and Matt Wieters slugged a three-run homer as host Baltimore salvaged the finale of the three-game series.
Chen (9-6) set a record for most strikeouts by a Taiwanese pitcher and allowed just three hits and one unearned run as the Orioles won for only the second time in seven games.
Red-hot Oakland, which is 18-4 in July, lost for just the second time in 11 games.
Wieters entered the contest in a 1-for-30 slump but gave Baltimore a 4-0 lead in the third with a three-run blast into the left-center field seats off Oakland starter Travis Blackley (3-3).
Adam Jones one-hopped the left-center fence with a run-scoring double immediately prior to Wieters clubbing his 13th homer of the campaign.
Chen took a 5-0 lead into the sixth and allowed a run-scoring single by Yoenis Cespedes. He left with the bases loaded and Darren O’Day extinguished the threat by retiring Derek Norris on a pop-up.
Omar Quintanilla had three hits and added a sixth-inning homer for Baltimore.
Blackley allowed five runs and six hits in five innings.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Chen’s 12 strikeouts are the most by a Baltimore hurler since Erik Bedard fanned 15 Texas Rangers on July 7, 2007. … Oakland’s streak of homering in 18 consecutive road games ended. … Orioles 2B Brian Roberts will undergo season-ending hip surgery. He played in just 17 games this season due to injuries. … Athletics OF Coco Crisp (hamstring) sat out while OF Josh Reddick (back) returned from a one-day absence. … Baltimore DH Jim Thome (neck) missed his second straight game. … Oakland acquired C George Kottaras from the Milwaukee Brewers for reliever Fautino De Los Santos, who was at Triple-A Sacramento. … Orioles OF Lew Ford went 0-for-3 in his first major-league game since 2007. He was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.