O's game blog: Chris Tillman has a 1.74 ERA since Aug. 1

Heading into tonight's game at Fenway Park, Orioles starting pitchers have worked to an ERA of 1.75 over their last seven games with six quality starts. Chris Tillman (11-5, 3.40 ERA) will try to keep that going tonight when he faces Boston right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (3-1, 4.63 ERA). Tillman's streak of starts allowing three earned runs or fewer has reached 17 games. He is 6-3 with a 2.26 ERA since June 10 during the streak. If he allows three or fewer tonight, he will tie Steve Barber (June 12, 1966 to May 14, 1967) for the fourth-longest streak in club history. In seven starts since Aug. 1, Tillman is 4-0 with a 1.74 ERA and a .183 batting average against. According to STATS, Tillman has recorded a quality start in each of his last eight outings against American League East teams dating back to May 6, the longest active streak by any AL pitcher against his own division. He is 3-3 with a 2.14 ERA against division opponents over that span. The Orioles are 21-9 in Tillman's 30 starts this season, winning the last eight. In 14 career starts against Boston, Tillman is 5-3 with a 2.76 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA in three starts versus Boston in 2014. Nelson Cruz will become the sixth Oriole to hit at least 40 homers in a season with his next longball. Cruz also has a chance to give the Orioles back-to-back home run titles after Chris Davis led the majors with 53 last season. Cruz and Davis could make the Orioles the fourth team since 1920 to have two players win the home run title in consecutive years. They would join the 1936-37 Yankees (Lou Gehrig 49, Joe DiMaggio 46), the 1987-88 Oakland A's (Mark McGwire 49, Jose Canseco 42) and the 1993-94 San Francisco Giants (Barry Bonds 46, Matt Williams 43). MLB home run leaders: 39 - Nelson Cruz, Orioles 37 - Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins 36 - Chris Carter, Astros 33 - Jose Abreu, White Sox The Orioles are 66-14 (.825) when scoring four or more runs this season, including a 26-1 mark since July 19. Since June 30, the Birds are 34-2 in 36 games when scoring at least four runs. Here is an interesting note from O's public relations: With three more wins (or the club's 87th of the season), the Orioles will reach the 5,000-win mark in club history, including regular season and playoff games.