Chris Tillman on getting the wild card game start

TORONTO - Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman may not have strong career numbers against the Toronto Blue Jays or at Rogers Centre, but he has pitched well in Toronto twice this season and he was selected by manager Buck Showalter to get the start in the wild card game on Tuesday night.

"Excited," Tillman said about his matchup with Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman. "I think everyone's different. And I think the situation's different with everyone, for sure. You know, I take every game and approach it the same way. Not to put any added pressure on yourself. Just go out and try to do the same thing you do every other game."

In 24 career starts against Toronto, Tillman is 5-10 with a 5.44 ERA. In 13 career starts at Rogers Centre, he is 2-6 with a 7.01 ERA.

But Tillman, who said he found out after yesterday's game he would get this start, has done well at Toronto this season. He faced the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on July 31 and again last Wednesday. The Orioles won both games and he went a combined 11 1 /3 innings allowing 11 hits and four runs (three earned) with six walks and eight strikeouts for a 2.38 ERA.

Tillman has pitched much better in 2016 than in 2015 against Toronto. He went 0-4 with an ERA of 11.72 in six starts last season. This year, counting two starts also at Camden Yards, he is 1-0 with a 3.63.

"There are no secrets," Tillman said of faring better against Toronto. "I don't think I've gone out of my way to do anything different with these guys. It's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

"Last year didn't go so well, this year has been a little better. I think we're a very solid defensive team, and I think when you have that in the back of your mind as a starting pitcher, you're going to be able to attack the zone and make your defense work."

Tillman has made 30 starts and the Orioles are 22-8 in those games, including a 4-0 mark against Toronto.

"I think anytime you're able to pitch well somewhere or against a certain team, I think it helps a little bit. But I don't buy into that all that much. Every day is different. Every day you're carrying different stuff. You've got to find a way to navigate every game a different way. I don't dwell on the past too much, but we've played well here this year, and it's been fun.

"I have seen them a lot and they've seen me a lot. There's no secrets. I know what they're going to do, they know what I'm going to do. Same thing goes the other way with Stro (Stroman), we've seen him plenty. So I don't think there are any secrets there," he said.

Tillman has held some of Toronto's big guns in check this year. Josh Donaldson is 2-for-12 against him while Edwin Encarnacion is 1-for-9 and Jose Bautista 1-for-6. But Troy Tulowitzki is 4-for-10 with two homers against him.

Tillman was asked at his press conference today about some of his first-inning struggles (he has a 4.20 ERA in that inning) and how that impacts the usually already charged-up crowd here.

"There are crowds everywhere we go," he said. "This crowd is probably one of the better ones. But as a player I don't hear a whole lot of it. I have the same game plan every time. I'm not trying to give up any runs in the first. Like I said, I'm not going to put any added pressure on myself. Try to keep the fans out of it. I'm going to focus on what I need to do to make good pitches."

Tillman and the O's starters pitched well down the stretch. As the Orioles went 7-2 their last nine games, the rotation ERA was 2.35. Over the last 32 games, O's starters pitched to an ERA of 3.69.

It was important. I think it was good timing. I think we threw the ball well for a while there coming down the last couple weeks of the season. I think it was really important. I think our bullpen has been there the whole year. They've been good all year and everyone knows that. I think as a starting staff we did a better job as of late," Tillman said.

If the Orioles improve to 5-0 tomorrow when Tillman starts versus Toronto they will be headed to the American League Division Series to face the Texas Rangers.