O's game blog: Chris Tillman faces Tigers in series opener

The Orioles host the Detroit Tigers tonight, beginning a three-game series that will end a scheduled 10-game homestand that is down to nine games after Tuesday's rainout.

The Orioles (6-19) have lost five in a row and 11 of their past 12 games. They are 1-5 on this homestand and 3-9 at Oriole Park for the season.

Detroit (10-13) just lost two of three at Pittsburgh and that series included a rainout. They lost a doubleheader yesterday, but are 6-4 since their 4-9 start.

The Tigers swept three games from the Orioles April 17-19 at Comerica Park, winning by scores of 4-2, 6-5 and 13-8. Detroit completed its first three-game home sweep of the Orioles since July 5-7, 2010. The Tigers have not won a series in Baltimore since sweeping a three-game set in 2014.

In his career versus the Orioles, Miguel Cabrera is batting .367 with 13 doubles, a triple, 21 homers and 63 RBIs in 65 games. Cabrera leads all active players with a .458 OBP and .686 slugging percentage against the Orioles.

The Orioles' Manny Machado is batting .433 (13-for-30) over his last eight games with five homers and nine RBIs. Machado has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games, averaging .380 (19-for-50) during this stretch. Five of his 10 multi-hit games have come during this span.

Orioles left fielder Trey Mancini recorded his seventh multi-hit game of the season Thursday after doubling in the third inning and adding a single in the fifth. In 16 games batting leadoff, he is averaging .324 (22-for-68).

Tonight, right-hander Chris Tillman (0-4, 9.87 ERA) makes his fifth start for the Orioles. On Saturday versus Cleveland, he gave up eight hits and four runs over six innings, in his longest outing of the year. For the season, he has thrown 17 1/3 innings, allowing five home runs among 30 hits with 11 walks and eight strikeouts. Opponents are batting .395 against him.

Tillman is winless over his last 22 starts since he got a win in his 2017 season debut last May 7 against the White Sox. In 10 career starts against Detroit, he is 6-1 with a 3.12 ERA. He begins today with 73 career wins as an Oriole, tied for 12th with Sidney Ponson on the club's all-time wins list.

Right-hander Mike Fiers (2-1, 3.71 ERA) gets the start for Detroit. He pitched six scoreless innings in his first start of the start of 2018. But in two starts since, he allowed 18 hits and 10 runs (seven earned) over 11 innings.

Fiers, signed by the Tigers on Dec. 8 as a free agent, has made two career starts versus the Orioles, both at Camden Yards. He is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 14 innings.