Do the Orioles face a tough call on Chris Tillman?

Is a pitcher with an ERA of 6.35 and a batting average against of .319 in three minor league rehab starts ready to pitch in the majors?

Those numbers suggest he's not, but Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman was pretty emphatic that the answer is yes when he was interviewed last night.

Making his third rehab start and coming back from shoulder discomfort, Tillman pitched five innings for Single-A Frederick at Potomac. The small crowd at Pfitzner Stadium saw him allow eight hits and six runs (four earned) with one walk and two strikeouts on 71 pitches.

His fastball lacked its usual velocity, touching the high 80s often, but seldom registering 90 mph and very seldom touching 91 mph, where he topped out at. Several balls were hit hard, including a grounder up the middle in the third that went for a single and seemed to hit him in the foot. Tillman quickly waived off the trainer and he was fine.

Tillman now feels his shoulder is fine, too, and that he is ready to make his season debut in the O's rotation. It's a debut that could come as soon as Tuesday in Boston after he has a Sunday side session.

"I felt like I could compete tonight," Tillman said after his outing. "Especially later, got better as I went. We'll have to talk about it and see where we're at. I think it was, by far, probably my best one (in three rehab games). The results weren't great, but for the most part, I made some really good pitches."

Tillman recently talked about overcoming mental hurdles due to his shoulder issue. But now he says he has cleared those hurdles.

"Every day, you wake up with a mental hurdle, getting out of bed and see how it feels right away," he said. "But for the most part, when I'm loose and on the field, it's no problem. I'm focused on making pitches and getting outs. It's not, 'How is this pitch going to feel?' I'm focused on making a pitch when I need to.

"It's not so much pitching that's new (again), it's the process of getting loose. It's going to take a little more. I've seen my whole career the older guys and how long it takes to get loose. I was like, 'What the heck is going on?' Now I get it."

So getting loose is a challenge for Tillman, but he feels getting outs won't be. Even though he's allowed 15 hits and 10 runs (eight earned) over 11 1/3 innings in two games with Double-A Bowie and last night's start in the Carolina League.

Tillman missed his teammates in Baltimore and being part of the Orioles rotation.

"It's tough not being on the field with these guys," he said. "I knew what I needed to do to come back. I wasn't going to cheat the process and was going to do it the right way. I was champing at the bit to get on the field. But you have to give yourself the best chance to succeed. The guys are throwing the ball well and there is not any rush."

Orioles pitchers are indeed throwing well and the team's 3.41 ERA ranks fifth-best in the American League. The O's rotation ERA of 3.77 ranks seventh in the league. They have 10 quality starts over the past 13 games. O's pitchers have allowed 18 runs over the past eight games and they are more than holding their own right now.

Does that make the Orioles more likely to send Tillman out on another rehab start? Perhaps it's better to have one start too many than one too few before rejoining the Orioles.

After getting a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right shoulder in December and a cortisone injection last month, Tillman hopes his shoulder issue is over for good.

"I think so. I feel great," he said. "But this kind of snuck up on me last year. I don't think you ever really know. As of right now, I feel great and haven't had any problems."

The Orioles' problem, though, might be what do with their opening day starter from 2014-2016. The stat sheet says he may not be ready, but Tillman knows best how he is feeling and doing. Has the time come for his season debut?

On to New York: The one team the Orioles have been unable to shake in the AL East standings is the Yankees, and the two teams begin a three-game series tonight in New York. At 14-6, the O's lead the East by one game over New York at 13-7.

In games within the division, the Orioles are 12-5 (.706) and the Yankees are 7-4 (.636) after beating Boston 3-0 last night on Mashahiro Tanaka's complete-game three-hitter on 97 pitches.

Since beginning the year 1-4 (which included losing two of three in Baltimore), the Yankees are 12-3. They are 8-1 at Yankee Stadium, where Kevin Gausman (1-2, 7.50 ERA) pitches against CC Sabathia (2-1, 2.70 ERA) tonight.

The Orioles are 11-2 in games decided by two runs or less. Winning all those close games has left them with a plus-9 run differential. New York leads the majors with a plus-35 run differential, one better than Washington's plus-34.

The Orioles will play 11 of their next 14 games versus the Yankees, Red Sox and Nationals. They've gotten off to a great start, playing .700 baseball. But no one said it would be easy and this next stretch of games proves that.