O's game blog: Chris Tillman faces Houston

It happened 17 days apart, one outing before the All-Star break and one after, but right-hander Chris Tillman has put together back-to-back solid outings. Tonight, he will try to make it three in a row against Houston, the American League's highest-scoring team.

In the two games, Tillman went 11 innings, allowing nine hits and three runs. In his previous six starts, he had given up five runs or more each time. That raised his ERA to 8.39, but maybe he is finally turning a corner.

Tillman ended an Orioles run of 10 straight games without a quality start on Monday against Texas. Over six innings, Tillman allowed just two hits and one run and tied for his longest outing of the year while producing his third quality start in 12 outings.

"It's getting there. It's a process," he said after that game. "A never-ending process to tell you the truth. As long as you stay true to who you are and focus on that process, I feel like in the end it always works out. When you cheat yourself in that process and straight up shoot for results, I feel like it is cheating yourself. You've gotta pay your dues and keep grinding and keep getting better."

Tillman's two hits allowed were his fewest since April 27, 2016 at Tampa Bay - 37 starts ago. He did not allow a homer for the first time in eight starts. Tillman used his fastball on 52 of 95 pitches, topping out at 94 mph and averaging a season-best 92.4 mph on his four-seam fastball.

Right-hander Collin McHugh makes his 2017 season debut tonight for Houston. He's been out all year with right shoulder tendinitis and elbow discomfort. Since June 30, he has made four rehab starts at the Double-A level with a 3.60 ERA. Over 15 innings, he has given up 18 hits and six earned runs. He threw six innings of four-hit ball on 69 pitches in his last game.

The last time he faced the Orioles did not go well for him. He gave up four homers in the first inning to the first five batters he faced. Adam Jones hit a leadoff homer and Hyun Soo Kim singled. Then, homers from Manny Machado, Chris Davi and Mark Trumbo followed.

According to Stats, LLC, that night the Orioles became the first team to hit four homers before making an out, dating to 1900. The four homers in the first also tied a major league record for homers in that specific inning. It was the seventh time it happened and first since Houston did it in 2004. The O's hit back-to-back-to-back homers for the first time since Aug. 25, 2014 against Tampa Bay when Delmon Young, J.J. Hardy and Davis did it.

McHugh gave up nine hits and seven runs (six earned) over three innings, but his team rallied to win that game 15-8.

Houston produced big offense last night as well, with three homers and 16 hits in an 8-7 win. It was the sixth time Orioles pitchers have allowed 16 or more hits. O's starter Ubaldo Jiménez allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings and has given up 10 or more hits in back-to-back starts for the first time in his career.

Houston (64-32) is 4-0 versus the Orioles this season, winning those games by two runs, three runs, four runs and one run. The Astros have won seven straight, 10 of 11 and 14 of their last 17 games against Baltimore. They have won four in a row at Oriole Park.

O's catcher Caleb Joseph is batting .472 (17-for-36) his past 12 games. Over his last 41 games starting May 8, Joseph is hitting .357 (40-for-112), the highest batting average for a catcher in the majors during that span (minimum 100 at-bats,) which ranks as the third-highest for any player (Justin Turner at .366 and Jose Altuve at .373).

According to MLB Statcast, Manny Machado ranks sixth in the majors in average exit velocity at 93.6 mph. Mark Trumbo owns the seventh-highest exit velocity on an individual play at 118.5 mph on a single he hit on April 28 at Yankee Stadium. Machado's 470-foot home run hit on April 28 is tied for the eighth-longest home run hit this season.

Last night, Machado began 0-for-3 with outs that were hit 111, 101 and 106 mph. Then, he singled in the eighth at 105.5 mph and also in the ninth at 104.3 mph. There were 18 balls hit 100 mph or more in Friday's game, five by Machado.