NEW YORK - The Orioles lost their third game in a row tonight, 4-3 to the Yankees, leaving them winless on their swing through New York.
Chris Tillman allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings to leave his ERA at 6.25 in 31 2/3 innings.
"It's just frustating for him," manager Buck Showalter said. "After we scored runs, we gave runs right back, and that's where you'd like to get some shutdown innings. And Chris will. He's getting there. He had five days off again. I think once we get into a pattern and get him every fifth day, it's going to help. You don't see him miss. He's been wild in the strike zone and that's been a challenge for him."
Tillman said he felt good physically.
"Mechanically, felt pretty good, too," he said. "It all got back to pitch execution. Got ahead, got deep in the count, got to have a feel for the hitter, got to execute a pitch. And multiple times tonight I didn't."
Tillman and the bullpen didn't lack for defensive support. The highlights included Delmon Young's leaping catch at the right field fence to rob Alex Rodriguez of his 661st home run, Young's throw to second base to cut down Mark Teixeira, Steve Pearce's diving stop and throw, and a 5-6-3 double play.
"There were five or six plays," Showalter said. "Just having J.J. (Hardy) here brings such a presence. That's why we were in that ballgame. Everybody. Manny (Machado) made a good play in the shift going the other way. Adam (Jones) ran the ball down. (Travis) Snider, Stevie. Real proud of him. He's presented himself well in a time of need."
The defense allowed Tillman to limit the damage to four runs and keep him in the game in the sixth inning.
"It does without a doubt," Showalter said. "That's what happened last year a lot. Very seldom are we going to go out there and overpower a lineup. Especially that one, with that many left-handed hitters. And if we do that, that will help us be a lot more consistent."
Pearce robbed Ellsbury and saved a run from scoring in the fourth.
"I'm working hard at it," he said. "Doing stuff every single day just trying to get a more comfortable there. Just taking it day by day.
"We take pride in our defense. We have a good defensive team. We work on it. It's just who we are. That's our makeup."
Showalter sent up Ryan Lavarnway as a pinch-hitter to face Yankees left-hander Andrew Miller with one out in the ninth. Lavarnway, batting for Snider, struck out swinging.
"It's tough either way, but it's real tough on left-handers," Showalter said. "He's got a chance. Of course, there's really not an advantage there when Miller is on top of his game. But that's why you've got to play that game for seven innings."
The Orioles know the odds aren't favorable once Dellin Betances and Miller take the mound with a lead.
"They've got a good bullpen," Pearce said. "We hope to try to control the game before those guys get it. But when those guys get in there, it's a little bit tougher."
Pearce thought Tillman had pretty good stuff tonight. He offered his support of the club's No. 1 starter.
"They just hit him around a little bit," Pearce said. "He's still working through the kinks. So are a bunch of guys. It's early in the year. We're not panicking. He's still our guy. We want him out there with the game on the line. He'll battle through this."
Tillman appreciated Young's leaping catch, but also scolded himself for the pitch.
"I was upset with myself for missing there," Tillman said. "Put a good swing on it, but at the same time, he made a great catch and he kept us in that game from the get-go. Get some momentum back on your side. That's why you've got to start mixing pitches, and I missed."
Rodriguez smacked his historic home run in his next at-bat.
"I don't like it," Tillman said. "Any time you give up a home run, I don't like it. He's one of the all-time greats. You've got to respect it. Any time you make a mistake to that guy, he's going to make you pay. He pretty much did twice."
The humble A-Rod surfaced during his postgame press conference.
"I thought the days of curtain calls for me were long gone," he said.
Meanwhile, infielder Everth Cabrera will have an MRI on his left foot Friday. He's confident that he'll come off the disabled list when eligible.
"I feel better, like walking around a bit," he said. "I put some ice on it. We'll see tomorrow after the MRI. I feel like I'm going to be OK in like two weeks."
Cabrera thought he might be able to avoid the disabled list when he woke up this morning. But he's also surprised that the pitch from Mets starter Jacob deGrom injured his foot.
"It was about a 75 (mph) curveball that hit me on the top," he said. "I was playing normal, and I woke up this morning and it was really sore. It is (maybe) something in there."
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