Chris Tillman struggles, but offense produces 11-6 O's victory

On a night when right-hander Chris Tillman struggled badly again, the Orioles offense overcame an early hole and continued to show signs of potentially better times ahead for the batters.

Down 4-0 after the top of the first, the Orioles hit three homers tonight as they rallied to beat Kansas City 11-6, to win the series at Oriole Park.

The Orioles improved to 10-27 overall, 7-11 at home and to 3-9 in 12 series. They won for just the sixth time in the last 27 games. The Orioles have their second two-game win streak of the year.

The 11 runs is a season-high topping the previous best of eight. The Orioles scored 23 runs in the series, their best three-game output of the season.

Tillman, who allowed seven runs in an inning plus in his last start at Anaheim, got just four outs tonight. He gave up four hits and six runs (five earned) in 1 1/3, throwing 45 pitches, 23 for strikes.

He and the Orioles were behind 4-0 after the first four batters. He allowed a single and two walks and then faced catcher Salvador Perez. He hit an 0-2 fastball over the scoreboard in right for his second career grand slam and fourth homer of this season. When Tillman allowed two more in the second (one unearned) he was pulled for Miguel Castro.

Over his past two starts, he has thrown 2 1/3 allowing 11 hits and 13 runs (12 earned) with four walks and no strikeouts. Angels and Royals batters went a combined 11-for-17 against him as his ERA rose to 10.46.

The Orioles scored three in their half of the first off Ian Kennedy, beginning a night where they scored nine in four innings off the K.C. right-hander.

The O's first began with a Trey Mancini double, an Adam Jones RBI double and a Manny Machado two-run homer to right-center. Machado ended a season-long 10-game homerless stretch with homer No. 10. When Jones added a two-run homer in the third (No. 6) the O's were behind by just 6-5.

The Orioles took the lead with a four-run fourth featuring Chance Sisco's two-run double for a 7-6 lead and Mancini's two-run homer for the 9-6 edge. That made Mancini 3-for-3 with a single, double and his fourth home run. Anthony Santander's pinch-hit single in the fifth gave the O's a 10-6 lead. The lead grew to 11-6 on Jonathan Schoop's single in the sixth.

Jones and Mancini went 3-for-5, each finishing a triple short of the cycle. The top three in the order - Mancini, Jones and Machado - combined for eight hits and seven RBIs. The Orioles went 6-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Meanwhile Castro restored order on the mound. He went 4 2/3 scoreless on four hits and 65 pitches to get the victory and is 1-1. Tanner Scott had two dominant innings in the seventh and eighth with four strikeouts, touching 99 mph. Mychal Givens pitched the ninth.

The Orioles welcome Tampa Bay to town on Friday night to start a four-game series. Right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.30 ERA) pitches against right-hander Jake Faria (3-1, 4.15 ERA).