Cincinnati @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 24, 2011 ) Cincinnati 4, Baltimore 5

THE STORY: Cincinnati's first visit to Baltimore since the 1970 World Series wasn't a pleasant one for the Reds. They will look to rebound from an extra-inning loss in the series curtain raiser as they take on the Orioles in the resumption of their three-game set Saturday evening. Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo gets the call against Baltimore counterpart Brian Matusz.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati), Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (6-6, 4.86 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Brian Matusz (1-2, 5.60). Arroyo has put a rocky start to the season behind him, going 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA over his past four starts. He kept the hard-hitting Blue Jays at bay in his previous outing, limiting them to one run over eight innings in a 2-1 victory. Arroyo is 2-2 with a 5.57 ERA in five career starts against the Orioles, but he hasn't faced them since Sept. 23, 2005 when he was with Boston. Matusz is still seeking his first interleague victory, having gone 0-3 in four starts against the National League. Given his performances of late, he may have to wait a little longer. the 24-year-old has surrendered eight runs over his past two starts spanning 6 2/3 innings, ballooning his ERA more than three points. Saturday marks his first career appearance against the Reds.

ABOUT THE REDS (39-38): Cincinnati erased a 4-0 deficit and looked to be in position for the win, but Joey Votto was thrown out trying to score from first base on a Jay Bruce double in the top of the 12th. One Derrek Lee home run later, the Reds found themselves perilously close to the .500 mark for the season. Cincinnati came into the weekend with the fewest at-bats against left-handed pitchers of any team in the majors (490), but leads the way with a collective .292 average against southpaws. That should serve the Reds well against Matusz, who is allowing teams to hit a collective .306 against him.

ABOUT THE ORIOLES (34-39): If anyone on the Orioles' roster was due to go deep, it was Lee. Friday's homer was his first since May 8, a span of 21 games. The multi-hit effort was his fifth in the past seven games, raising his average more than 30 points. Lee is hitting only .216 for his career against Arroyo, but has taken him deep twice in 37 at-bats. J.J. Hardy has been even more successful against the Reds righthander, hitting four homers in 26 plate appearances. With Arroyo having surrendered the most home runs of any NL pitcher since 2006, Baltimore will likely be looking to tee off against him.

FINAL PITCH: Arroyo hasn't allowed more than one walk in any of his past six starts.