When Robinson Cano’s two-run double skipped through the wet outfield grass at Yankee Stadium, Baltimore Manager Buck Showalter burst out of the dugout to bring a merciful end to Tillman’s night. Too bad the Orioles had to play seven more innings in damp and chilly conditions before the end of theirs.
A 7-4 loss to New York before an announced crowd of 42,171, which got a little nervous in the seventh inning when Matt Wieters and Brian Roberts connected for two-run homers off A.J. Burnett, knocked the Orioles (6-4) out of sole possession of first place in the American League East, marked their third consecutive defeat, and was an ominous start to a road trip that went from six games to five with Tuesday night’s rainout here.
“Not good, not good enough.” Showalter said of Tillman. “We’re going to have to get better than that. I think [he] had three first-pitch strikes against 17 hitters. I don’t care where you’re playing. The ball was up all night and they made him pay.”
Tillman was supposed to start that game before the rains came and his outing was pushed back a day. Now, he and Showalter are facing questions whether he will — or at least should — make his next start, which would come on Monday.
If the Orioles had other viable rotation options, it might be a more difficult question to answer. But Justin Duchscherer and Brian Matusz are on the disabled list, Brad Bergesen is needed to start Sunday, and Baltimore’s Class AAA rotation is stocked with veteran journeyman, like Ryan Drese and Chris George.
“There are always options if you have to make an adjustment. We hope not,” Showalter said. “I’m not at that point now. We just go through a game. He pitched one good game statistically, so-so in the [second] one and struggled tonight.”
The Orioles top decision makers will surely not sit through too many performances like the one Tillman dialed up tonight in Baltimore’s first game since Sunday. He allowed six runs on nine hits and walked one in just 1
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nnings, the second shortest start of his career. Over his last two outings, Tillman has surrendered 10 earned runs, 15 hits and three walks in six total innings, his ERA ballooning to 7.30.
“The results are results. I think anybody would be disappointed in this, you know?,” said Tillman who turns 23 Friday and has made 26 career big league starts. “I’m more disappointed that I made some good pitches and when it counted, I didn’t make those pitches. I missed middle almost every single one of those pitches whether it was up or down. It just goes to show, that’s not going to cut it here.”
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