O's game blog: Orioles have won in each of Chris Tillman's last 10 starts

Chris Tillman has a lot to pitch for tonight. Besides getting the Orioles even in this series and keeping them in range of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, there are some other factors as well. If Tillman allows three earned runs or fewer tonight, he will have 20 straight such starts to tie for the second-best streak by an Oriole. Also he needs to pitch at least 5 2/3 innings to reach the 200-inning mark for the second straight season. Over this 19-start run, which started June 10, Tillman is 7-3 with a 2.19 ERA. In 12 starts since the All-Star break, he is 5-0 with a 2.01 ERA. Tillman can tie Steve Barber tonight if he reaches 20 straight starts allowing three earned runs or less. Barber did that from Aug. 17, 1965 to June 4, 1966. If those are not enough impressive Tillman stats, the Orioles have won his last 10 starts, outscoring their opponents 58-25. Is there any doubt which pitcher will start Game 1 of the playoffs? Tillman could pitch next Friday on an extra day's rest and he would then be lined up for Game 1 of the American League Division Series on an extra day's rest. Right-hander Rubby De La Rosa (4-7, 4.31 ERA) gets tonight's start for Boston. In his only start in 2014 against the Orioles, he took the loss on June 11, allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings. De La Rosa is 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA in three September starts. Boston ended a five-game losing streak to the Orioles on Friday night. That was the longest losing streak against Baltimore since also dropping five straight from April 8 to July 22, 2004. The Orioles have clinched the season series victory and currently are 10-7 against Boston this year, going 4-4 in Baltimore and 6-3 in Boston. Since 2012, the Birds are 34-20 against the Red Sox. Over the last 17 games since Sept. 2, Orioles starting pitchers are 9-1 with a 1.78 ERA and 11 quality starts. The Orioles are 13-4 in those games. Over the last 11 games, O's starters are 7-1 with a 1.64 ERA.