Reds 10 - Orioles 5

Guest blog by my son, recapping the game from the cheap seats!

Last night was a great game which for the first time in the Major Leagues there was a total of 9 home runs hit. It all started off in the 1st inning when Adam Jones hit a solo home run which gave the O's a 1-0 lead. The following inning in the top of the 2nd Johnny Gomes hit a solo home run for the Reds to tie it up. In the 3rd reigning National League MVP Joey Votto hit a 3 run home run to give the Reds a 4-1 lead. In the bottom half of the 3rd Orioles Right Fielder Nick Markakis hit a 2 run home run to right center to cut the Reds lead to 4-3. In the bottom of the 4th Matt Wieters hit a solo home run to tie up the game at 4's. In the top of the 5th Votto again hit a home run this time a 2 run home run. Top 7th the Reds would add to their lead when Scott Rolen hit a 2 run home run to make their lead 8-4. In the bottom half of the 7th J.J. Hardy hit a solo home run to make the score 8-5. In the 8th the Reds made the game theirs when Drew Stubbs hit a solo home run and Brandon Phillips hit an RBI single. At the end of the game the final score was 10-5 the winning pitcher was Bronson Arroyo (7-6) the losing pitcher was Brian Matusz (1-3).

What I saw from this game in the Orioles was they have a good young team to compete. This past offseason they added the talent they need to win by adding outfielder/designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero, 3rd baseman Mark Reynolds, left fielder Luke Scott, and 1st baseman Derek Lee. Those are 4 of the 5 big hitters on this Orioles team. The reason why the Orioles aren't a big contender in the American League East is their pitching. Don't get me wrong they have good young pitching but they don't have the kind of pitching they need to win the AL East. You look at the Yankess, Red Sox, and Rays they have a solid number one starter the Yankees have Sabathia, Sox have Lester, and the Rays have Price. The Orioles however have not found that number one starter.  They have Arrieta who is 9-4 but he is their technical number 4 starter. Their number one starter Jeremy Guthrie is 2-9 (he'll be on the mound today) but has not found a way to win the games he needs to. In a few years if the Orioles can keep the bats they have and get the pitching they need maybe by signing a free agent this season and bringing up a young number 5 starter and keeping Arrieta in the rotation they should have a good 1, 3 and 5 starter they are just missing a 2 and 4 starter which can be filled in by any starter they have now maybe Guthrie at 4 and Matusz or reliever Bergesen as a number 2 starter. It was definitely apparent last night that if the Orioles had the starting pitching it took to win they would have won this game last night but because they don't, their starter let up 6 runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Look for the Orioles to definitely be a contender in years to come. Their wait for a world series back in Baltimore should be coming soon.

Today's starters: for the Orioles Jeremy Guthrie (2-9 3.79 ERA) for the Reds Homer Bailer (3-1 3.00 ERA). Should be a good one.