Noting Tillman and Markakis

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

April 09, 2010, 1:13pm

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Norfolk RHP Chris Tillman picked up his 8th win of the year tonight in game one of a doubleheader. Tillman and Norfolk beat Charlotte, 5-1. The righty went 6 2/3 and gave up seven hits and one run with no walks and seven strikeouts. Tillman, who had not allowed a run over his previous two outings, is now 3-0, 0.44 over his last three starts, allowing just one run in 20 1/3 innings. He improves to 8-5, 2.42 on the year and has allowed 2ER or less in 13 of 17 starts. Just a guess, but Tillman's next start will not be with Baltimore. To call him up now, that first start would take place at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park. I'll bet the O's look to avoid that with Tillman. Maybe he pitches in that KC series near the end of this month. We'll see. Meanwhile there was a pleasing sight in Chicago, where Nick Markakis hit a two-run homer in the third inning. It was just his 9th homer of the season, last year he had 14 at the break. Markakis had gone 24 games without a homer and this was just his third over the last 58 games. His last home run was June 16th. This was his second homer of the year off a lefty pitcher. Markakis now has 14 RBI over 18 games.