Tillman's time was short tonight

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

April 13, 2011, 4:26pm

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Whether it was a lack of velocity or a lack of quality pitches, this was basically a disastrous outing for Chris Tillman tonight at New York. He got ahead of the first batter he faced, Brett Gardner at 0-2, but then threw a fastball right down the middle that went for a base hit. The Yankees kept hitting after that. Over just 1 2/3 innings, Tillman gave up nine hits and six runs, all earned. He walked one and fanned two, throwing 57 pitches, 33 for strikes. It seems hard to believe two starts ago he had a no-hitter thru six. Tillman's career ERA against the Yankees jumped from 5.52 to 8.27. HIs ERA this season is up to 7.20 through three starts. It could have been worse tonight, but a diving catch by Adam Jones got the O's out of a base-loaded jam that would have meant more runs charged to Tillman's record. The Yankees had nine hits in 13 at-bats versus Tillman tonight for an average of .692. This outing will only further serve to ratchet up the concerns about the right-hander, his velocity and why he is still looking for consistent results at the major league level.