Reyes is up next as Orioles look to piece together their rotation

One week after the Orioles claimed lefty Jo-Jo Reyes on waivers from Toronto, he will take the mound and get his first Baltimore start. "It's good," Reyes said. "I'm used to starting, so it's not going to be that big of a difference. But just to get back on the mound and start the game off is going to be good." Reyes was 5-8 with a 5.40 ERA this season in 20 starts for Toronto. He gave up 140 hits over 110 innings and really struggled over his last five starts, going 2-2 with an ERA of 9.00. In his last two Toronto starts on July 14 and 22 against the Yankees and Rangers, he gave up 18 hits and 15 runs over 9 2/3 innings. He was not surprised the Jays let him go. "It's a business and a few bad outings in a row, it's a business and they've got to do what they've got to do. The last two outings, it's just the ball was up in the zone, a kind of mechanical flaw caused me to do that," Reyes said. The 26-year-old Reyes was drafted in Round 2 by Atlanta in 2003. Last July, he was traded by Atlanta to Toronto and this July he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays and now he's an Oriole. "During those 10 days (after getting DFA'd), I went back home, worked on some stuff, threw a bullpen (Sunday) and everything looks a little better." Now Reyes will try to impress his new coaches and teammates and make his bid to stay in a rotation that may suddenly have a few openings. "I've still got most of the second half to go and as long as I can finish strong, I can make a good case. Whatever opportunity they give me, whether it's only for a few starts or it's the bullpen, I'm going to take every advantage that I can," Reyes said. Reyes went 4-7 with an ERA of 4.57 this year in 18 starts for Toronto before the All-Star game. The Blue Jays were 9-11 in his 20 starts. Reyes made a nice first Orioles impression, getting out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the eighth inning Wednesday at Kansas City, just a day after the team claimed him. Tonight will be his second time on the mound at Camden Yards this year. On June 5, for the Jays against the Orioles, he gave up five hits and three runs over 6 1/3 innings, throwing 96 pitches in a win versus the Orioles. Tonight, he hopes to win for the Orioles, facing a team he has never seen before in the White Sox. "Keeping the ball down is the key to success for me," he said.