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Baltimore Orioles vs. Cincinnati Reds: 3 things to keep an eye on

By Nate Wardle

Apr 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop hits an sacrifice fly ball scoring a run in the ninth inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop hits an sacrifice fly ball scoring a run in the ninth inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Baltimore Orioles are set to take on their first non-American League East team on Tuesday evening, and that team also happens to not be in the American League.

The Baltimore Orioles enter the three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds with an 8-3 record and leading the American League East. The Reds open the 2017 season at 8-5, leading the National League Central division.

The Reds have got off to a solid start thanks to solid hitting throughout their lineup and strength from an overworked bullpen. The Reds ‘pen has already thrown an astounding 57 2/3 innings, allowing a 2.65 ERA in those innings.

The batting average against the Reds’ relievers is .186, so the Orioles will need to score off the Reds’ starting pitching. And, that starting pitching is a big question mark.

Apr 16, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini (16) is greeted by third base coach Dave Dickerson after hitting a three run home run against Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini (16) is greeted by third base coach Dave Dickerson after hitting a three run home run against Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Offensive outburst continues against the Reds mediocre pitching 

I’m going to go with a lot.

Tuesday’s starter, Bronson Arroyo, is 0-2 with a 9.80 ERA. Arroyo owns a 5.82 ERA vs. the Orioles, the highest against any team in his career that he has faced 10 or more times.

Wednesday’s starter, Amir Garrett, has made two career major league starts and is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA. He has been quite good so far, in starts against St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

Must Read: Is five straight quality starts too much to ask for the O's rotation?

Thursday’s starter is former Oriole pitcher Scott Feldman, who is 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA. Those numbers are not what Oriole fans are used to seeing from Feldman.

Feldman made all of five starts in 40 appearances in 2016 between Houston and Toronto and struggled mightily for Toronto down the stretch after being acquired.

So, the Orioles will face a 40-year-old guy (Arroyo) who is on the downside of his career, with numbers to prove it so far, a guy in his third career start, and another guy also believed to be on the downside of his career.

Looks like a recipe for the bats to continue to make noise to me.

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