(SportsNetwork.com) – Chris Tillman goes after his second win of the season on
Sunday when the Baltimore Orioles play the rubber match of their three-game
series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards.
Tillman was terrific on Monday versus the Tampa Bay Rays, as he surrendered a
run and four hits over 6 2/3 innings. He also struck out four batters, but
walked three.
“My fastball command was good,” said Tillman. “That’s most important for me
every start, and I was able to get it going early on.”
Toronto, meanwhile, will also turn to a pitcher who won Opening Day, as Drew
Hutchison tries to duplicate his effort against the New York Yankees.
Hutchison spun six innings of one-run ball and gave up three hits to the
Yanks.
A big reason why he received the Opening Day nod was so that he could pitch
against the Orioles, against whom he is 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA in eight games.
Three of those wins came last season.
Baltimore evened this series at a game apiece on Saturday, as Jonathan
Schoop’s grand slam and seven stellar innings from Ubaldo Jimenez fueled the
Orioles to a 7-1 win.
Schoop’s fifth-inning blast was one of three Baltimore homers as the Orioles
avenged a 12-5 defeat to the Blue Jays in Friday’s opener. Alejandro De Aza
and Chris Davis had solo shots in the opening inning off Aaron Sanchez, who
struggled mightily in his first career major league start.
Jimenez (1-0) didn’t need much offensive support, as the maligned right-hander
yielded only one hit — a fourth-inning single to Jose Reyes — while striking
out eight in a dominant effort.
Sanchez (0-1) lasted just 3 1/3 innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits
and issuing a pair of walks.
The O’s went 11-8 last season versus the Blue Jays and swept the most recent
series in Baltimore between the clubs from Sept. 15-17.
