Sizzling starters and hot hitters have Orioles streaking

Don't look now - or maybe just peek through your fingers - but the Orioles are only two games behind the Twins for the second wild card spot.

They still trail the Yankees by seven games in the American League East, but hey, they're alone in second place and ... there's also the wild card race.

A win tonight would give the Orioles a sweep of the Braves and lift them two games above .500 for the first time since July 10. They haven't won five in a row since a six-game winning streak on June 7-13.

As I wrote last night, the rotation has produced a 1.56 ERA in the last five games, with six earned runs allowed in 34 2/3 innings. The Orioles are 4-1 in that stretch, proving again that it all starts with starting pitching.

That's fortunate because I'd hate to have my tattoo removed.

Ubaldo Jimenez has nine quality starts, the most recent coming last night after he allowed two runs in the first inning and shut out the Braves over the next six. He didn't give up a hit, either.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy extended his hitting streak to 11 games, tying his season high. He's produced a .308/.333/.436 slash line.

Center fielder Adam Jones has a .412/.444/.529 slash line in his last four games and is batting .340/.354/.468 (16-for-47) with seven multi-hit games since the All-Star break.

Chris Davis, the first baseman who plays mostly right field now, has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games and is batting .302/.375/.698 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in that span. Davis is now tied with Nick Markakis for sixth place on all-time home run list at Camden Yards with 82.

The Orioles improved to 33-5 last night when Caleb Joseph has an RBI. I ask again why the Orioles don't just let him do it every game and run away with the division.

Chris Tillman apparently believes in more than shutdown innings. He understands the importance of blocking out embarrassing starts.

Remember the day that Tillman gave up six runs and six hits in only 1 1/3 innings in Toronto? It was a brutal outing, saved only by the Orioles' ability to rally for a 13-9 win.

Since that afternoon, Tillman has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in his last five starts to shrink his ERA to 4.71, its lowest since opening day. He's allowed five earned runs over 32 2/3 innings, with six walks and 28 strikeouts.

Tillman was averaging 4.8 walks per nine innings, but it's down to 3.6.

In his last start, Tillman was denied a win at Tropicana Field after allowing one run and two hits over seven innings. He retired the last 23 batters he faced in his previous outing in Detroit.

Tillman has never faced the Braves. He's 2-1 with a 5.47 ERA in 14 interleague starts.

The current Braves are 7-for-33 (.212) against him. A.J. Pierzynski is 6-for-21 with a double and home run, Pedro Ciriaco is 1-for-6, and Jonny Gomes and Ryan Lavarnway are 0-for-3.

The Orioles faced Mike Foltynewicz on the final day of spring training on April 4 in Orlando. He was scheduled to start, but the Braves moved him to the bullpen and started left-hander Eric Stults.

I won't lie, I barely paid attention. The Orioles brought a crew of minor leaguers on the trip so their regulars could take the day off. They were finalizing the opening day roster. Trade rumors swirled. I was tired.

Before the Braves switched to Stults, I did produce this gem:

The Braves are starting Mike Foltynewicz, a former pitcher in the Astros system who's also a triple word score in Scrabble.

Foltynewicz has been faulty this year, producing a 5.27 ERA and 1.610 WHIP in 12 games, including nine starts. His last start came on June 24, when he allowed six runs (five earned) and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Mets at Citi Field.