Tillman vs. Blanton tonight

Chris Tillman is making his second career start tonight against the Los Angeles Angels, and his first in their home ballpark. Considering that he's an Anaheim native, this is a pretty big deal. He may have to beg teammates for their spare tickets. Tillman owns a victory against the Angels. He allowed three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings on Aug. 14, 2009. That's it. One start, one win. Tillman has only faced three current Angels. Josh Hamilton is 0-for-6 with three strikeouts against him, and that's the largest sample size. The Angels are sending Joe Blanton to the mound. I'd take my shots at him, but Aaron Harang turned into Greg Maddux last night, so I need to be careful. You just never know. The Orioles seem to hold some level of interest in Blanton every year. Spring training, the non-waiver trade deadline, over the winter. I've lost count of how many times the Orioles have been linked to him in the past. They talked trade with the Phillies last July, but they refused to part with minor league infielder Jonathan Schoop. The Dodgers acquired him on Aug. 3 for a PTBNL. The Orioles passed on Blanton again after he became a free agent. He signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Angels on Dec. 12, leaving the rest of the baseball world to ask, "He signed for how much??" Blanton is still looking for his first win. He's 0-4 with a 7.09 ERA in five starts, with 47 hits allowed in 26 2/3 innings. He's given up seven home runs. Left-handers are batting .403 against Blanton. Right-handers are batting .346. I don't think you can go wrong either way. The third inning has been a real chore for Blanton. His ERA is 12.60. Blanton is 2-2 with a 5.36 ERA in seven career starts against the Orioles, with 54 hits in 42 innings. They're batting .307 against him. Nick Markakis is 6-for-12 with a home run. J.J. Hardy is 4-for-12 with a home run. Chris Davis is 2-for-3 with a home run. Nate McLouth is 3-for-15 with a double and home run. Steve Pearce is 2-for-6 with a home run. A few guys have taken him deep.