Cincinnati @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2014 ) Cincinnati 0, Baltimore 6
The Baltimore Orioles are a season-high 24 games over .500 and own a magic number of 16 to clinch the American League East title as they prepare to host the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday in the finale of a three-game series. Baltimore took the first two games against the Reds and have won eight straight series at home for the first time in 30 years. The Orioles are also 8-2 on their 11-game homestand and sit two games behind the Los Angeles Angels for the best record in baseball.
Jonathan Schoop, the No. 9 hitter in Baltimore's lineup, has homered in consecutive games and registered his third three-RBI contest since Aug 11. Meanwhile, the Reds are 1-4 on their six-game road trip and are showing no signs of reversing a slide that has seen the team lose 15 of 21 games to drop seven games behind Milwaukee for the National League's second wild card. Wednesday's 6-0 defeat was the third shutout in 12 games and 13th of the season for the Reds.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Mike Leake (10-11, 3.33 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Chris Tillman (11-5, 3.36)
Leake appears to be back on track following a shaky stretch in which he allowed at least four runs in five of eight starts, blanking Pittsburgh on six hits over seven innings to stretch his scoreless streak to 13 2/3 innings. He tossed a gem in his previous outing, beating Atlanta 1-0 while allowing only two hits. Leake, who has gone at least seven innings in 10 of his last 11 starts, is 5-5 with a 3.33 ERA away from home.
Tillman did not factor in the decision last time out, limiting Minnesota to one run over five innings to remain undefeated over his last nine starts. He is 4-0 during that unbeaten run and has not allowed more than six hits in any of those starts while permitting two runs or fewer eight times. Tillman is 4-5 overall with a 2.50 ERA at home but he is 2-0 and has yielded only five earned runs in his last five starts at Camden Yards.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore, which leads the majors 182 homers, is 21-0 when hitting three or more in a game.
2. Reds 2B Brandon Phillips is 2-for-32 over his last eight games.
3. The Orioles are 63-14 when scoring at least four runs, including 23-1 since July 19.
PREDICTION: Orioles 4, Reds 3