A resurgent Chris Tillman would be a big boost for the Orioles rotation

Maybe we should not get carried away over one game. Then again, what a game it was.

In desperate need of a win, Chris Tillman pitched the Orioles past the Tigers last night in a 3-0 victory. He pitched with a 1-0 lead for most of his night and retired the last 23 Tigers batters he faced in an exceptional performance.

Tillman has been pitching better in recent starts and it all seemed to come together for him last night. He commanded all his pitches and his all-important fastball command was there. He did his usual job of elevating some fastballs to get outs.

tillman-pitching-alds-white-sidebar.pngOver his last four starts, Tillman is 2-0 with an ERA of 1.40. In 25 2/3 innings, he has allowed 23 hits with just three walks and 24 strikeouts. Tillman has not allowed a homer in those outings.

The earlier control troubles seem to be behind him and he put up eight scoreless against a Tigers team that was averaging 5.7 runs per game this month.

This was the Orioles' first one-hitter since Tillman and Troy Patton comined on one against Boston on Sept. 28, 2012. Tillman came within three outs of the Orioles' first complete game and complete-game shutout since Sept. 3, 2014, when Miguel Gonzalez blanked Cincinnati.

Can Tillman salvage his season? He certainly can and he might help the Orioles salvage their season, as well. Just hours after talk of selling off players reached a seeming fever pitch, Tillman reminded us that the Orioles still can have a strong season.

If Tillman continues to pitch well and Kevin Gausman lives up to his immense talent, what a boost that could be for an Orioles rotation that began Saturday ranked 11th in the league in ERA at 4.29 and first in homers allowed with 71.

DSL stars: Three players from the Orioles organization will play today in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League All-Star Game. They are right-handed pitchers Yeizer Marrugo from Colombia and Jhon Peluffo from Colombia, and second baseman Gonzalo Galastica from Panama.

Marrugo, 20, is 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in nine starts. Over 42 innings, he has walked 11 and fanned 42. In 44 career DSL games, he is 14-8 with an ERA of 1.79.

The 18-year-old Peluffo is 2-3 with a 2.41 ERA over nine starts. In 37 1/3 innings, he has walked 12 and fanned 37. He has held right-handed batters to a .198 average.

Galastica, 19, has played 28 games and is batting .291 with four doubles, two triples, no homers, six steals, 20 runs and 17 RBIs. A switch-hitter, he is batting .412 in 34 at-bats against left-handed pitching.




Looking back and ahead
Chris Tillman with an eight-inning gem as O's tame...
 

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