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Baltimore Orioles: Previewing the Cleveland Indians series

By Kristen Bentley

OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 10: Wade Miley #38 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Oakland Athletics in the bottom of the first inning at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 10: Wade Miley #38 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Oakland Athletics in the bottom of the first inning at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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After a rough series with the New York Yankees, the Baltimore Orioles head to Cleveland for three games against the 2016 AL Champion Indians.

The Baltimore Orioles enter this series with 71-69 record that puts them two games back of the second Wild Card game.

The Cleveland Indians are on a record-setting win streak. The team has not lost since Aug. 23 and they have won 15 games in a row. Now is the time for the Orioles to end that streak and get started on their own winning streak.

The last time the two teams met back in June, the Orioles lost three of the four games played at Camden Yards. These games were in the middle of the stretch where the Orioles gave up five runs or more in 20 consecutive games.

Friday matchup

In September, the Orioles have a different streak going. The team has currently won every other game in a walk-off. If the streak continues, they should win tonight, even though it can’t be on a walk-off. The Indians are one of the toughest teams to beat, but if any team can do it, the Orioles can.

The pitchers for the weekend series have been announced by both managers. Friday night’s game will feature Wade Miley against Mike Clevinger. In his last three starts, Clevinger is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.20. His season stats are pretty impressive, too, as he has a season ERA of 3.50 with 114 strikeouts. Miley has also done well in his last three starts. He has an ERA of 2.65 with a win-loss of 2-1. His season ERA is 4.91 and he has 128 strikeouts.

Saturday matchup

Saturday afternoon’s game will feature Gabriel Ynoa and Josh Tomlin. This game will be tough for the Orioles as Tomlin has an even better ERA than Clevinger has. Tomlin is 2-0 in his last three starts and he has an ERA of 1.72 during those starts. He is hitting his groove after a rough start that left him with a season of ERA of 5.20. All cylinders are firing with the Indians and all pitchers are succeeding on the mound.

Ynoa is a September call-up who did have time with the Orioles in June. He pitched two innings on Sept. 4 against the Yankees. In 14.2 innings pitched with the Orioles, Ynoa has a 3.68 ERA and he has given up six runs, with three home runs. This is the first start for the 24-year-old right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic.

Sunday matchup

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On Sunday night, Jeremy Hellickson will face Trevor Bauer. In his last three starts, Hellickson has not done well. He is 1-1 with an ERA of 7.71 due his poor performance against the Yankees. Bauer, on the other hand, has a 3.57 ERA in his last three starts. He is 3-0 and is one of the AL pitchers tied for the most wins (15) this season.

Tough hitters on both teams

Along with the consist and strong pitching, the Orioles will have to face the Indians hot-hitting offense. The O’s are known for their league-topping power hitting, but the Indians just know how to score runs. The players to watch are Jose Ramirez, who has entered the AL MVP discussion; Edwin Encarnacion, and Francisco Lindor. But those hot hitters will be up against, Manny Machado, Trey Mancini, and Jonathan Schoop – who is also in the AL MVP discussion.

Next: Orioles Trey Mancini should be the AL Rookie of the Year

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 at Progressive Field as two of the best managers in the game, Buck Showalter and Terry Francona, put their skills to the test.

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