Chris Tillman's Major League debut didn't go exactly as planned, but the Birds managed to keep him out of the loss column with some offensive production after he was pulled. Tillman went just 4 2/3 and was charged with three runs on seven hits...all three runs came via the home run ball, but the damage was minimal as all three homers were solo shots. Tillman walked just one and struck out two in his first start as an Oriole.
Adam Jones struck again in the first inning, giving Tillman an early cushion. Jones slammed a 2-run dinger over the wall in left to give the Birds a 2-0 lead. Jones has now hit three homers in the past three games, all 2-run shots, and all coming in the first inning...
Tillman let the Royals tie it up with two homers in the second, and they took the lead after a homer in the fourth. He left in the fifth as the pitcher of record, but the O's weren't about to let him take the loss...the bats came to life in the seventh inning: Jones knocked in a run with a double and Nick Markakis followed with a 2-run single to give the Birds the lead. The O's scored two more in the eighth...Aubrey Huff snapped out of his slump long enough to deliver an RBI single to put the Birds up 7-3.
The O's one through four hitters went 8-for-18 and knocked in all seven runs (they also scored five of them). Markakis and Jones finished the day with three RBIs a piece, and Brian Roberts crossed the plate three times.
Still, the night belonged to Tillman...he left the game to nearly 20 thousand fans on their feet, congratulating the prized prospect and awarding him with a standing "O!"...I certainly can't wait until he takes the mound again.
The Birds can split the series with Kansas City Thursday afternoon...another young gun, Brad Bergesen, is scheduled to take the mound...Go O's!!
O' Yeah...
- Dave Trembley elected to sit Matt Wieters (who had gone 4-for-5 the night before) in favor of Gregg Zaun, citing Zaun's experience as the reason for the move...like most fans, I was a bit confused (Wieters has caught Tillman in the past, and is the starting catcher) but it worked out in the end...otherwise, Trembley would be hearing it right about now
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