Pitching takes a turn for the better as first-place White Sox arrive

In the 2014 season, Chris Tillman went 13-6 with a 3.34 ERA. How many times this winter did we discuss that he needed to return to his 2014 form for the Orioles?

Well, we have seen him make five starts so far and he is 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA. He gave the Orioles a huge effort last night with 6 2/3 scoreless on two singles against Tampa Bay.

The Orioles offense got one big swing from outfielder Joey Rickard, but almost nothing else. Tillman made that stand up. Tillman tied his career high with nine strikeouts and has fanned 24 in 25 innings with a .211 batting average against.

Tillman allowed six runs on April 14 at Texas. In his other four starts his ERA is 1.37. He looks real good right now, showing some 94-95 mph velocity, and his changeup, slider and curveball have all flashed plus at times.

This is a small sample size, but in the last turn through the rotation, Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright, Ubaldo Jimenez, Kevin Gausman and Tillman have all had pretty solid outings.

After O's pitchers went six innings or more just once in the first nine games, they have now done that seven times in the past 11 games. Progress. Also, the O's now have back-to-back quality starts for the first time in 2016. O's starters were one mislocated Jimenez fastball away from allowing just two runs in three games at Tropicana Field. Yes, the Rays don't have much offense, but O's pitching made sure that held true, allowing just six runs over the past three games.

Rickard got nitpicked and analyzed pretty good in the comments section here yesterday. Then he ended a 2-for-22 slump by hitting what turned out to be a game-winning homer against his former organization. He just keeps plugging away and his play has been a positive during a 12-8 start.

Yes, the Orioles are 5-8 since they went 7-0, but you can't take those seven wins away from them and they return home tonight still in first place. Soon, second-place Boston will have to play someone other than Atlanta.

Now comes a real challenge - the Chicago White Sox. Some of the pitching numbers they have posted while going an impressive American League-best 16-6 are stunning.

Their team ERA of 2.24 is almost a full run better than the next closest team. They have allowed one run or fewer 11 times and have 17 quality starts. White Sox starters have allowed two runs or less 15 times with six scoreless starts. They just swept Toronto three straight on the road by a combined 21-6 score.

Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Matt Latos are a combined 12-1 with an ERA of 1.34, allowing just 60 hits over 94 innings. While the O's face John Danks (0-3, 6.23 ERA) tonight and Carlos Rodon (1-2, 4.05 ERA) on Friday, they will get Latos (4-0, 0.74 ERA) on Saturday and Sale (5-0, 1.66 ERA) on Sunday.

Can an O's offense that has scored just five runs over the last four games get it going against the team that has easily had the league's best pitching so far?

It should be fun this weekend at the Yard. The Orioles begin a 10-game homestand tonight, with the Yankees and A's to follow Chicago to town. Tonight begins a stretch where the Orioles play 17 of their next 20 games in Baltimore.

They are 7-1 at home this year and that is the best home record in the American League. They have a team ERA of 2.10 at the Yard and have averaged four runs a game with 10 homers and a .285 batting average at Camden Yards.

There have been a few things for fans to worry and/or be concerned about so far no doubt, but at 12-8 through the first 20 games the Orioles are on a 96-win pace.

So far, not bad overall, right?

On the farm: Single-A Delmarva beat Greenville 5-3 last night and catcher Yermin Mercedes had two more hits, including a triple.

Over his last 10 games, Mercedes is hitting .500 (20-for-40) with six doubles, four triples, a home run, nine runs scored and 12 RBIs. On Monday, he was named the South Atlantic League offensive Player of the Week.

Delmarva is 12-8 and has won a season-high five games in a row. The O's 2015 top draft pick, DJ Stewart, drove in two runs and has raised his average to .220. He is 7-for-16 over his last five games.

Double-A Bowie beat Richmond 6-3 as right-hander David Hess allowed just one run and five hits over seven innings. That was the longest start by a Baysox pitcher this year. Hess is 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA over four starts with an ERA of 1.89 his past three starts. Hess has walked four and fanned 18 in 23 innings. Catcher Chance Sisco went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and is batting .300.

Triple-A Norfolk won a wild game 7-6 by scoring three runs in the last of the 12th against Indianapolis. In his third Triple-A game, first baseman Trey Mancini went 3-for-6 with a double, triple and two RBIs. His run-scoring single tied the game 4-4 in the 10th. He added an RBI double in the 12th. Norfolk got back-to-back bases loaded walks from Xavier Avery and Michael Almanzar to tie and win that game. Ryan Flaherty went 3-for-6 with a double for the Tides.

Single-A Frederick pitchers allowed 10 runs in the eighth inning in a 14-7 loss to Salem. Left-hander Tanner Scott continued to struggle, allowing seven runs on two hits and four walks in 2/3 of an inning. He has an ERA of 12.19 through seven appearances with 15 walks over 10 1/3 innings. The Keys' Wynston Sawyer homered and drove in three runs and Jomar Reyes added two RBIs.