O's game blog: Chris Tillman faces K.C. in his second start

KANSAS CITY - The Orioles try to get back in the win column tonight and avoid the season's first three-game losing streak. They play the Royals in the second game of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

The Orioles are now 2-5 in road series openers after last night's 3-2 loss at Kauffman Stadium. The Orioles are 2-8 in this ballpark since May 17, 2014.

The Orioles (22-12) are 0-2 on this three-city, seven-game road trip. The Royals are 4-1 over their last five games, which have been against Tampa Bay (3-1) and the Orioles (1-0).

Right-hander Chris Tillman (1-0, 0.00 ERA) made his season debut on Sunday at home versus the White Sox and gets the start tonight. He pitched five scoreless innings on three singles with three walks and four strikeouts, throwing 93 pitches. He walked the first two batters he faced, but went on to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the first.

Tillman's solid season debut followed four minor league rehab starts in which his ERA was 7.16 and he allowed 20 hits over 16 1/3. On April 27 he gave up six runs over five innings to the Single-A Potomac Nationals. Five days later he allowed four homers to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. So much for rehab stats.

In dealing with right shoulder discomfort that sent him to the disabled list last August, Tillman had a platelet-rich plasma injection in December and a cortisone short in mid-March. That delayed the start to his season until last Sunday.

Tillman made 30 starts last year for the Orioles and they went 22-8 in those games. In fact, in a 2016 season in which the Orioles had a winning percentage of .549 as a team, they had a win percentage of .733 in Tillman's starts.

From 2012 through 2016, the Orioles had the fourth-best winning percentage in the majors at .548. During that time, their win percentage was .643 (92-51) when Tillman started. A team with that winning percentage for a full season would have 104 victories.

In eight career stats against Kansas City, Tillman is 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA and 1.364 WHIP. He has allowed an average against of .287 in those games and has given up nine homers over 47 2/3.

Right-hander Nate Karns (2-2, 4.58 ERA) makes his seventh start of the year for K.C. tonight. In his first five starts, Karns had an ERA of 6.26. But in his last two, he is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA. Over 12 1/3 innings, he has walked three with 17 strikeouts and the Royals are 3-3 in his six starts.

In six career games (five starts) versus Baltimore, he is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA, a 1.000 WHIP and a .194 batting average against.