Notes on Tillman and Jones (we're tied)

Orioles starter Chris Tillman has made it through four innings tonight in Game 2. No one is warming in the bullpen, so Tillman will return for the fifth with his pitch count at 94, including 58 strikes. He's allowed two runs and four hits, walked three and struck out seven. Tillman has struck out six of the last 12 Pirates that he's faced. Tillman threw 49 pitches in the top of the first inning tonight. According to Elias, the last Oriole to throw 49 or more pitches in an inning also was Tillman on July 16, 2012 at Minnesota in a 19-7 loss. He worked two-thirds of an inning that night, the shortest start of his career. He's gotten better at damage control. The Orioles finally have a hit. Nelson Cruz singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Adam Jones followed with a single, making him 5-for-33 with 10 strikeouts since April 21. He had one hit in his last 17 at-bats. Jones needed that one badly after fanning in the second. Both runners advanced on Matt Wieters' fly ball to center, but Game 1 hero Steve Pearce struck out. Pirates starter Brandon Crumpton hit Jonathan Schoop on the right elbow in the third. He put Pearce and Manny Machado on their backs with pitches tailing toward their heads. Three Pirates were hit in Game 1. Fans seem to think there's a connection, judging by their reactions. Machado has bounced out twice in his first two at-bats of 2014. Update: Gaby Sanchez's two-out triple to right increased Pittsburgh's lead to 3-0 and ended Tillman's night after 112 pitches, including 71 strikes. Tillman allowed three runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings, his shortest start of the season. He walked three and struck out eight. Evan Meek stranded Sanchez at third after walking Neil Walker. In his last two starts, Tillman has allowed 10 runs and 15 hits in 10 1/3 innings, with five walks and 15 strikeouts. Update II: The Pirates added a run off Meek in the sixth and lead 4-0. Troy Patton made his 2014 debut and retired Pedro Alvarez to end the inning. In his last four outings, Meek has been charged with nine runs and 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings. Update III: The Orioles scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth and drove Cumpton from the game. Jones had an RBI double, Wieters followed with an RBI single and J.J. Hardy greeted reliever Bryan Morris with a two-run single. Steve Pearce doubled to put runners on second and third and end Cumpton's night. He would have been out at the plate on Hardy's single if Pirates catcher Chris Stewart had held the ball.