O's game blog: It's Tillman against Feldman at Camden Yards

Well, the Orioles are not exactly setting the world on fire with their win-loss record, but they keep gaining ground slowly but surely.

Since May 11, the Orioles are over .500 at 7-6. In that stretch, they have gone from 5 1/2 games out of first place to two games beginning play tonight. This is the closest they've been to first since they were two out on April 29.

On the mound tonight Chris Tillman (2-5, 6.10 ERA) pitches against Scott Feldman (3-4, 5.17 ERA).

Tillman has not recorded a win since April 18 when he beat the Red Sox. Over five starts since then, he is 0-4 with an ERA of 6.41. Tillman's last start was cut short by a lengthy rain delay and he went three innings Thursday against Seattle allowing one run. The Orioles are 3-5 in his eight starts and he has pitched seven innings or more just once, on May 1 versus Tampa Bay.

Feldman, despite an ERA of 5.17, has recorded six quality starts in nine outings. But since going 2-2 with a 4.31 ERA in five April starts, he is 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA in four May starts.

Feldman has an ERA of 11.00 and opponent batting average againsts of .465 when pitching in the first inning this year.

More notes on the Orioles:

* The Orioles' four pitchers yesterday combined to strike out 12 without issuing a walk. It is the third time this year O's pitching has not walked a batter, and all three instances have come over the last nine games.

* Caleb Joseph went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs Monday. With that win, the Birds improved to 27-3 in games in which Joseph registers at least one RBI.

* Manny Machado extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games (.333/.405/.424), after going 1-for-3 with a walk in the series opener. His current eight-game streak is tied for the fifth-longest of his career and is his longest since a nine-game streak, May 15-26, 2014.

* After hitting just two homers over their previous seven games, the Orioles hit two in Monday's 4-3 win as Joseph and Steve Pearce connected. It was the O's first multi-homer game since they hit three May 11. They went 11 games between multi-homer contests.

Note to readers: I am in Bowie tonight to cover Matt Wieters' first rehab game. I will be writing a story or two from Bowie tonight but stay here in this entry to post in-game comments on the Orioles and Astros. Go there for any minor league talk or to post a question and/or comment about Wieters, the Baysox or the minors. Stay here for the O's in-game comments. Thanks.