Tillman vs. Verlander in today's series finale in Detroit

The Orioles have won the season series against the Tigers, an important point if we're talking about tiebreakers. They're one game ahead for the second wild card and trail the Red Sox by two in the American League East.

I wondered yesterday which Ubaldo Jimenez would take the mound for the Orioles and offered both sides of the veteran pitcher. They got the right one. He held the Tigers to two runs over seven innings for his fourth consecutive quality start, lowering his ERA to 5.98.

Mind blown.

The same question can be posed to today's starter, Chris Tillman, as the Orioles close out their series in Detroit.

You never know what you're going to get from a pitcher fresh off the disabled list. The Tigers' Jordan Zimmermann, with a much longer layoff due to a neck strain, surrendered home runs to three of the first eight batters last night and faced only 10 before heading to the showers.

Zimmermann had pitched only once since June because he made two trips to the disabled list. Tillman's last start came on Aug. 20 versus the Astros, when he allowed six runs and six hits and walked five batters in only two innings.

Tillman's been on the disabled list with bursitis in his right shoulder. He threw a couple of bullpen sessions last week and was deemed ready.

The Tigers, at least on paper, are the right opponent for him.

Tillman is 5-0 with a 2.56 ERA in eight career starts against the Tigers and 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA in five starts at Comerica Park. He faced them on May 13 in Baltimore and tossed seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a 1-0 victory.

In another starter coincidence in this series, Justin Verlander also was the opposing pitcher that night and took the loss after surrendering a home run to Adam Jones in the sixth inning. More on him later.

The current Tigers are batting .203 against Tillman. Victor Martinez is 6-for-17 with a double and home run, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 3-for-21 with seven strikeouts, Erick Aybar is 1-for-12, Jose Iglesias is 2-for-14 and J.D. Martinez is 2-for-11 with a home run.

Verlander has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his last 13 starts and three or fewer in all 13. That's a serious roll, folks.

His 1.005 WHIP was tied last night with the White Sox's Chris Sale for the lowest in the American League and his 6.9 hits per nine inning were first.

Left-handers are batting .203 against Verlander and right-handers are hitting .214. Your lineup guess is as good as mine.

Verlander is 9-4 with a 3.70 ERA in 17 career starts against the Orioles.

Jones is 11-for-41 with a double, three home runs and 10 strikeouts, J.J. Hardy is 10-for-38 with two doubles, three home runs and 10 RBIs, Michael Bourn is 13-for-35 with two doubles and 10 strikeouts, Matt Wieters is 4-for-27 with a double, triple and home run, Manny Machado is 3-for-18, Pedro Alvarez is 2-for-14, Jonathan Schoop is 2-for-12 with a home run and Mark Trumbo is 2-for-12.

Wieters won't catch a day game following a night game despite his two home runs last night. Bourn could be in the lineup based on his .371 average, but what about Hyun Soo Kim, who was on the bench again last night?

What about the fistful of sunflower seeds that he keeps firing into the faces of home run hitters in the dugout? It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye or has a fistful of sunflower seeds embedded into their foreheads.

Note: The Orioles will start Wade Miley, Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Yovani Gallardo is pushed back to Thursday against the Rays at Camden Yards.