Gabriel Ynoa gets a turn today

CLEVELAND - If Gabriel Ynoa is going to make his first start for the Orioles, and only his sixth appearance, why not pitch him in September with his team badly in need of a quality outing? His team going in the wrong direction in the wild card chase.

It has the feel of a reverse lock, with the Indians carrying a franchise-record 16-game winning streak and Ynoa an unexpected addition to a rotation that's undergoing another makeover.

Someone needs to step up and manager Buck Showalter is open to suggestions.

Ynoa actually faced the Indians twice in relief in a June series at Camden Yards and allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings. He tossed three scoreless innings on June 19.

Today marks Ynoa's first road appearance as an Oriole.

Left-handers are 9-for-26 (.346) with two triples and two home runs against Ynoa this season and 23-for-65 (.354) in his career.

José Ramírez is 2-for-2 with a pair of triples against Ynoa, but he didn't play last night due to a sore wrist. The Indians laugh at injuries and keep beating up on opponents.

Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin started against the Orioles on June 20 and allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Manny Machado hit two home runs and Jonathan Schoop also took him deep.

Tomlin is 3-3 with a 5.72 ERA and 1.475 WHIP in eight career games (seven starts) versus the Orioles covering 39 1/3 innings. Adam Jones is 11-for-21 (.524) with four doubles and a home run, and Machado is 4-for-6 with two homers.

It may not have garnered much notice last night, but Chris Tillman entered the game with two outs in the eighth inning and struck out Roberto Pérez to keep the deficit at five runs.

Tillman needed eight pitches to dispose of Pérez, the last a 93 mph four-seamer. He got ahead 1-2 before Pérez worked the count full by taking a slider and 91 mph fastball out of the zone.

A shoulder injury prevented Tillman from making another opening day start. There's something unsettling about a former 16-game winner working mop-up duty, but that's his reality in 2017.

Tillman doesn't figure to close the season in short relief. Manager Buck Showalter indicated yesterday that Tillman will make another start this month.

Just when you think he's out, they pull him back in.

Ynoa could be one and done. Another start isn't promised to him. But you can bet that a strong outing today will lead to another opportunity. The Orioles aren't going to push away a hot hand.