Chris Tillman talks about his first spring training start (O's, Jays tie 6-6)

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Orioles 6, Blue Jays 6

Recap: An O's starting pitcher allowed at least one first-inning run for the 12th time in 16 games. Chris Tillman, making his first Grapefruit League start, allowed two runs and five hits in 1 2/3. He gave up both runs in the first. Jonathan Schoop and Pedro Alvarez had RBI singles for the Orioles. Schoop and Joey Rickard had two hits. Rickard is now batting .294. Toronto's A.J. Jimenez hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Parker Bridwell to break a 2-2 tie. Alfredo Marte hit a two-run homer in the eighth to tie the game at 4-4. Then, Xavier Avery hit an RBI double and Garabez Rosa hit an RBI single to give the O's a 6-4 lead. First baseman Joey Terdoslavich dropped a popup in short right field to allow the Jays to get a run back in the bottom of the eighth. Dalton Pompey then led off the ninth with a home run off Chris Lee to the tie the game back up.

Need to know: Tillman threw 51 pitches, 29 for strikes. He had pitched two innings previously in a B game versus Pittsburgh March 10. Nolan Reimold made a leaping catch at the wall in the second to rob Troy Tulowitzki of at least extra bases and possibly a grand slam. Tyler Wilson pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Tillman. He gave up two hits and fanned two. The Orioles are now 2-13-3.

On deck: Wednesday, vs. Pirates in Sarasota, 1:05 p.m. on MASN
_________________

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Right-hander Chris Tillman made his first Grapefruit League start here this afternoon. But like many other Orioles pitchers this spring, he struggled and recorded five outs against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto scored twice off Tillman in the first and a nice catch at the wall by right fielder Nolan Reimold kept the Jays from doing more damage an inning later. Tyler Wilson came on with the bases loaded and two outs, and Troy Tulowitzki drove the ball deep to right. Reimold jumped, the ball then popped out of and back into his glove for the third out. The O's avoided a grand slam.

Tillman's line: 1 2/3 innings, five hits, two runs, three walks, one strikeout. He threw 51 pitches.

"I actually felt pretty good about it," Tillman said. "I made a lot of pitches with what I wanted to do. I was satisfied with that. Try to progress from there. What I takeaway is I need to get better with my secondary stuff. My spin. My changeup was really good. Fastball was pretty good. Spin was a little bit behind. Mechanics-wise, I was right on where I need to be."

Tillman said it was normal for him to have some work to do with his breaking ball early in camp.

"Personally for me, it is. It takes me a little while to get it going. Goes through spurts throughout the year, too, to where I really need to focus on it.

"I wanted to get my fastball command first. It was pretty good in the bullpen. Took it in the game and it was good for the most part. Obviously, the second pitch of the game (hit for a double) wasn't good."

O's pitchers, who entered today with a team ERA of 7.26, have allowed first-inning runs in 12 of 16 games this spring.

After dealing with a hip injury that kept him out of games until March 10 when he pitched in a B game, does Tillman feel behind with spring training at about its midpoint?

"I don't," he said. "I just need to get out there every fifth day regardless of who it is. That is most important for me. I have to get myself right first. It felt good to be back out there. Get the butterflies going and the adrenaline. It is hard to do that on the back fields at Ed Smith."

The O's had taken a 1-0 lead to start the game against Toronto right-hander Jesse Chavez. Ryan Flaherty walked with one out, went to second on Jonathan Schoop's single and scored when Pedro Alvarez singled off the left field fence for his second O's RBI. He is now 2-for-7.

The O's tied the game 2-2 in the third. The inning started with three consecutive singles by Joey Rickard, Flaherty and Schoop. Alvarez was robbed off a hit on a diving catch by right fielder Darrel Ceciliani and Nolan Reimold grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The game remains tied 2-2 in the seventh inning. Wilson pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings after Tillman and Chaz Roe pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. Schoop has two hits.

Update: Toronto took a 4-2 lead in the last of the seventh. A.J. Jimenez hit a two-run homer off Parker Bridwell. The O's matched that and tied the game 4-4 when Alfredo Marte hit a two-run shot in the eighth off Wade LeBlanc. Marte is batting .368.

The O's added two more runs in the eighth to make it a four-run inning and a 6-4 lead. Xavier Avery doubled in a run and Garabez Rosa added an RBI single.