Taking a closer look at Tillman and today's game

By my faulty math, the Orioles are playing their seventh day game in the last eight days, going back to last Sunday's finale against the Marlins in Miami.

I raced to the Fort Lauderdale airport after that game, my colleagues telling me that I was cutting it too close. Not only did I arrive in time, I got there early enough to board a 6:30 p.m. flight instead of waiting for the 8:20 p.m. to Baltimore.

But I digress ...

I was in a rush to leave south Florida - it seems so strange to type those words - because the Orioles had an early afternoon game against the Astros on Memorial Day. They also had a 4:35 p.m. start on Wednesday and a doubleheader on Thursday that began at 1 p.m.

Factor in yesterday's 4:05 p.m. start and today's 1:35 p.m start, and you better pack lots of sunscreen and hope the umpires don't touch your arm.

The Orioles are 12-7 in the day following yesterday's 3-0 loss.

Chris Tillman is making his 10th start today and his third against the Rays. He's allowed three runs and seven hits in 13 2/3 innings.

In his last start, Tillman held the Astros to two runs over seven innings Tuesday to lower his season ERA to 5.59. He's won twice in eight decisions.

A big issue with Tillman has been the walks. He's averaging 4.7 per nine innings, compared to 2.9 last season and 3.0 in 2013.

By comparison, Ubaldo Jimenez is averaging 2.4 walks per nine innings in his nine starts, compared to 5.5 last season. Miguel Gonzalez is averaging 3.2 in 10 starts, compared to 2.9 last year. Wei-Yin Chen was averaging 2.3 before yesterday's start, same as his major league average over four seasons.

Bud Norris is averaging 4.3 walks per nine innings in six starts, compared to 2.8 last season. He's set to make one more rehab start Tuesday at Triple-A Norfolk.

OK, back to Tillman. He's 5-7 with a 3.78 ERA in 16 career starts against the Rays. He needs to avoid Evan Longoria, even in the hallways, since the Tampa Bay third baseman is 15-for-38 (.395) with three doubles and six home runs against him.

None of the other current Rays have homered against Tillman. Logan Forsythe is 1-for-11 and Steve Souza Jr. - who's homered in back-to-back games - is 1-for-6 with four strikeouts.

Jake Odorizzi is 3-5 with a 2.31 ERA in 10 starts this season. He shut out the Orioles on two hits over 6 2/3 innings on April 8, with no walks and seven strikeouts. He's 1-2 with a 4.25 ERA against them in six career games (five starts), and 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in three starts at Camden Yards.

Adam Jones is 8-for-17 with a double and home run against Odorizzi, but will he play today? It depends on his left ankle. Just how "mild" is that sprain?

Chris Davis is 1-for-9 with five strikeouts against Odorizzi. Manny Machado is 0-for-9 and Ryan Flaherty is 0-for-7 with four strikeouts.

Jimmy Paredes is 1-for-16 with nine strikeouts in his last four games. Does he sit today?

Alumi news: Former Orioles pitcher Brad Bergesen worked a 1-2-3 11th inning last night for his second career save in the independent York Revolution's 4-3 victory in Camden, N.J. I doubt that there's a single member of the local media here who isn't rooting for him to get back in the majors.

Shameless plug alert: I'm appearing on "O's Xtra" at 1 p.m. on MASN.