masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles have taken a roundabout way to get there, but their offense through 17 games has been solid.

Here is what I mean by roundabout: They began the year scoring 34 runs in the first five games. A stretch producing just 29 runs over nine games followed and now they have scored 23 runs over the last three games.

So over an eight-game stretch – at the start of the year and the last three games – they are scoring 7.1 runs per game. In the nine games in between they averaged just 3.2.

But…The Orioles have taken a roundabout way to get there, but their offense through 17 games has been solid.

Here is what I mean by roundabout: They began the year scoring 34 runs in the first five games. A stretch producing just 29 runs over nine games followed and now they have scored 23 runs over the last three games.

So over an eight-game stretch – at the start of the year and the last three games – they are scoring 7.1 runs per game. In the nine games in between they averaged just 3.2.

But again, overall, the numbers look solid. The Orioles begin today second in the American League in runs scored at 86 behind only Oakland’s 99.

Where the O’s rank in other stat categories in the AL:
* Second in homers (24)
* Second in slugging (.447)
* Third in doubles (34)
* Fourth in OPS (.774)
* Fifth in batting average (.264)
* Eighth in OBP (.327)

The average AL team has scored 71 runs to this point.

The Orioles are also ahead of their 2012 scoring pace. They are averaging 5.05 runs per game this season after scoring 4.40 in 2012.

We’ve seen Chris Davis go 4-for-8 in his past three games with four runs, two doubles and his AL-leading seventh homer. Nolan Reimold has two homers and five RBIs his last two games and O’s designated hitters are 4-for-11 with four RBIs over the past three games.

In his past three games, Manny Machado is 5-for-13 with two doubles, a homer and five RBIs. Nate McLouth is 6-for-19 over his last six games and Matt Wieters is 6-for-17 with two homers and five RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.