Tillman's outing so far (updated with final line)

Tillman's outing so far (updated with final line)
Chris Tillman, trying to bounce back from that early exit at New York last week, is off to a mixed start so far tonight. He and the Orioles trail the Twins 2-0 after three innings. Tillman has pitched two scoreless innings in the first and third, but gave up two runs in the second inning. Of the four hits he has allowed, three came consecutively in that frame. With one out, Michael Cuddyer and Danny Valencia hit back-to-back singles. Then catcher Drew Butera, batting just .113 at gametime,...

Talking about Tillman, Reimold and Bell (updated)

Talking about Tillman, Reimold and Bell (updated)
Chris Tillman got through a scoreless first inning on 13 pitches. That's quite an improvement over his last start in New York, when Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the opening frame. Tillman's fastball topped out at 92 mph against the Twins. His first heater registered at 87 mph, and the drop in his velocity has become a hot topic considering that he used to touch the mid-90s. He hit 90 at least twice, including his strikeout of Jim Thome to end the inning. Jason Kubel singled with...

Wieters said he's not concerned with Tillman's velocity

Wieters said he's not concerned with Tillman's velocity
O's right-hander Chris Tillman will take the mound tonight for the first time since he gave up nine hits and six runs over just 1 2/3 innings last Wednesday in New York. There has been a lot of talk about Tillman's velocity being down. Catcher Matt Wieters admits he has seen Tillman throw harder than he has this year, but also feels Tillman's current velocity is plenty good enough to win with. "He can definitely pitch at the velocity he is throwing now. I've seen where him he's been 94,...

Trying times for Tillman

Trying times for Tillman
I have only one question regarding the Barry Bonds verdict: Is this another intentional walk? An Orioles-related question: Does it feel like they've lost three in a row? I have to remind myself because the first loss came in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader. Monday's open date and Tuesday's postponement have broken up the streak, but it does exist. I walked away from my television numerous times last night, and not just because I was doing laundry, washing dishes, straightening up and...

Tillman's time was short tonight

Tillman's time was short tonight
Whether it was a lack of velocity or a lack of quality pitches, this was basically a disastrous outing for Chris Tillman tonight at New York. He got ahead of the first batter he faced, Brett Gardner at 0-2, but then threw a fastball right down the middle that went for a base hit. The Yankees kept hitting after that. Over just 1 2/3 innings, Tillman gave up nine hits and six runs, all earned. He walked one and fanned two, throwing 57 pitches, 33 for strikes. It seems hard to believe two starts...

Talking with Tillman and the subject is his velocity

Talking with Tillman and the subject is his velocity
When Chris Tillman takes the mound in New York tonight, there may be some fans checking the radar gun readings almost as much as they check the ball and strike count. There has been a lot of discussion among the fans that Tillman's velocity may be down and they are wondering if that impacts his pitching and not in a good way. Some fans cited a lack of his normal velocity as a reason why Tillman gave up four runs in his start against Detroit, but he seemed to be throwing with similar velocity...

More on Hardy and 9-5 win

More on Hardy and 9-5 win
Is it just me, or does it seem like every Orioles win is accompanied by a health crisis? The latest one came tonight. The Orioles rally to defeat the Tigers, 9-5, but shortstop J.J. Hardy is day-to-day after experiencing tightness in his lower left ribcage. "I was going to play through it - playing catch, doing everything, getting ready for the game," he said. "I wanted to put a little bit of Icy Hot on it, just to keep it warm. At that point, it got back to Buck (Showalter) that it was...

Tillman can't clear the fifth

Tillman can't clear the fifth
Alex Avila has struck again. Get this guy out of town. Avila homered and drove in five runs last night, and his solo homer tonight broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning. Keep in mind that Avila had one RBI before last night. A two-out double by Brennan Boesch scored Will Rhymes, who walked, and knocked Chris Tillman out of the game. Tillman threw 97 pitches, 59 for strikes, in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs and six hits, with two walks and four strikeouts. His fastball stayed in that...

Bullpen not being saved (updated)

Bullpen not being saved (updated)
Manager Buck Showalter needs Chris Tillman to pitch deep into tonight's game and save his bullpen after Brad Bergesen's abbreviated start last night. So far, the plan isn't working. Tillman threw 32 pitches in the first inning, and the Tigers parlayed four singles into a 2-0 lead. Don Kelly bailed out Tillman by bouncing into a 6-3 double play to end the inning. The fourth single, by Victor Martinez, came on a ball that caromed off the out-of-town scoreboard in right. Will Rhymes,...

After no-hit outing, Tillman gets another turn (updated)

After no-hit outing, Tillman gets another turn (updated)
When watching Chris Tillman pitch on Saturday against Tampa in his first 2011 start, it seemed to me that Tillman was not throwing with the velocity he once had shown. Tillman's first-inning fastball at times was in the high 80s and there didn't seem to be too many mid-90s heaters during that game. The right-hander said if anyone wondered if he were pitching with less velocity now than he did at times at Triple-A, that might just be true. "It might be, but I am more working on commanding...

Tillman's time again

Tillman's time again
Chris Tillman competed for the job as the Orioles' fifth starter. Then he became the No. 3 starter. Then he became the No. 2 starter. Tonight, he's being asked to serve as the stopper. The Orioles already have a pitching coach, so that job is out, but it's been an interesting progression for the young right-hander. The club is coming off its first deficit of the 2011 season, followed by its first loss. Perfection is out of reach - something I learned at a very early age. Tillman is...

Looking at the numbers from the Tampa series sweep

Looking at the numbers from the Tampa series sweep
*The Orioles swept the three-game series by a 12-3 score. They allowed exactly one run on four hits in each of the three games. They won three with a team batting average of just .222, going 22-for-99 vs. the Rays. They hit just one homer in the series, but it was a big one by Brian Roberts on Saturday night. They had just 11 hits in the series' first two games, then added 11 more on Sunday. Brian Roberts was the only Oriole to hit safely in all three games. The O's swept three without...

Some stats & facts from the first two games

Some stats & facts from the first two games
*Today the Orioles go for a three-game sweep at St. Pete vs. Tampa. They have not swept three from the Rays in their home park since September 30 to October 1, 2005. The Orioles have now won six of their last seven games vs. Tampa and are 4-1 at the Trop during that stretch. They now lead the all-time series, 113-111, vs. the Rays. *The Orioles have won these two games despite scoring just seven runs on 11 hits and with a team batting average of .175 to date. But O's pitching has allowed...

Taking a closer look at Chris Tillman

Taking a closer look at Chris Tillman
Well, just a few days ago we were wondering if Chris Tillman would make the Orioles' roster and now he is starting the second game of the season. That shows how much in a state of flux this rotation is in right now, due to injuries and pitchers getting hit with line drives As Tillman gets ready to take the mound tonight against Tampa, fans may be wondering why Tillman's Triple-A success the last two years has not yet translated to big league success. Over the past two seasons, Tillman has...

Tillman starting tomorrow (updated twice)

Tillman starting tomorrow (updated twice)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It's official: Chris Tillman will start tomorrow night's game against the Rays. Tillman was scheduled to start on Sunday, but he's needed tomorrow after Brian Matusz was scratched. Matusz underwent an MRI this afternoon on his sore back, and we're still waiting for the results. No word on Sunday's starter. Mark it down as TBA. It's possible that Brad Bergesen gets the call after throwing two innings in Wednesday's simulated game. Update: Jeremy Guthrie is...

Pre-workout Showalter - Part I

Pre-workout Showalter - Part I
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter won't post his opening night lineup until after today's workout, but he told reporters not to expect any surprises. I'd assume that means he's using the same lineup that we saw at the end of the exhibition schedule: Roberts, Markakis, Lee, Guerrero, Scott, Jones, Reynolds, Wieters and Hardy. I'll pass along the official one later. Showalter explained why he chose Chris Tillman over Brad Bergesen for Sunday's start against the Rays. "I...

Duchscherer move likely means Triple-A for Tillman, Britton

Duchscherer move likely means Triple-A for Tillman, Britton
A quick early-morning thought on what the acquisition of Justin Duchscherer late Sunday night means for a couple of the Orioles' young pitchers. It means Chris Tillman and Zach Britton are very likely to start the 2011 season in Triple-A Norfolk. For those that say Tillman doesn't have anything left to learn at Triple-A, I don't agree. He was 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA last season at Norfolk - good but not dominant stats. He is still not going to be 23 until April 15 and while he has already...

Audio from Chris Tillman's no-hitter

Audio from Chris Tillman's no-hitter
Chris Tillman pitched a no-hitter for the Norfolk Tides Wednesday night as the Tides won at Gwinnett 6-0. The 22-year-old right-hander walked one and fanned six and threw 63 of his 105 pitches for strikes. It was Norfolk's first nine-inning no-hitter since Dave Telgheder threw one on May 15, 1992 vs. Pawtucket. Audio: Tides broadcaster Bob Socci calls the final out of Chris Tillman's no-hitter The only trouble Tillman ran into came in the fifth inning, as Brent Clevlan worked a leadoff...