Chris Tillman (foreground) reacts as TorontoÂs Jose Bautista (left) and Aaron Hill celebrate scoring on Adam LindÂs third-inning infield single, which split shortstop Cesar Izturis and second baseman Brian Roberts. (AP photo / September 21, 2009) |
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TORONTO — -
One thing that has distinguished rookie phenom Chris Tillman from other heralded young Orioles pitchers in the past is that he generally throws strikes.
He hadn't walked more than three batters in any of his first 10 big league starts.
On Monday, in a 9-2 beating by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Orioles' fifth straight defeat, Tillman again walked only three.
But they were issued consecutively in Toronto's three-run third, the turning point in what later became a blowout courtesy of the Orioles' bullpen.
"That was one of those things that all of a sudden hit you and then it was gone. How did that just happen? What just happened?" Tillman said of the three walks. "I got in the dugout after that inning and obviously I was mad, but I was shocked more than mad. I don't know what happened there."
With the defeat, the Orioles (60-90) clinched their seventh 90-loss season in their past nine. The franchise had just five 90-loss seasons from 1954 to 2000.
They are 30 games under .500 for the first time since 2001.
The hope is that pitchers like Tillman, 21, and Brian Matusz, 22, learn enough this year to establish a foundation for the future. Orioles manager Dave Trembley sees Monday's loss - which gave the Blue Jays (67-83) a 7-6 advantage in the season series - as another lesson learned.
Because after Tillman's first two scoreless but uneven innings, and his control lapse in the third, the rookie rebounded and pitched two perfect frames.
"He gives you glimpses and he shows you at times what he is going to be all about. That's what excites you about him," Trembley said. "But then he kind of runs into a little bit of a wall and has trouble finishing off hitters."
Tillman (2-4) was pulled in the sixth after surrendering a solo homer to Lyle Overbay on his 100th pitch that gave the Jays a 4-1 lead. He was charged with four runs on six hits in five-plus innings.
The key hit in the third was an unlikely one: a bouncer up the middle by Adam Lind with runners on second and third. The single perfectly split shortstop Cesar Izturis and second baseman Brian Roberts.
The ball nicked Roberts' outstretched glove and rolled into shallow center, enabling Aaron Hill to score from second with the go-ahead run. After getting the second out, Tillman walked three straight, including Travis Snider's RBI free pass.
"I felt like I made my pitches when I had to," said Tillman, who will get at least one more start before his season ends. "They hit, I think, four ground balls and got three runs out of it. That kind of stuff happens. I guess I work on the bad and continue the good and go from here."
The Orioles' offense, which had scored nine total runs in its past four losses, was stymied by Toronto's David Purcey, who had allowed 22 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings in the majors this year (6.32 ERA).
Purcey (1-2) gave up just one run - a two-out RBI single by Felix Pie in the second - and allowed only four hits through 7 2/3 innings. At one point he retired 10 straight before loading the bases in the eighth on two walks and a hit.
It was the Orioles' best threat, but reliever Shawn Camp induced Melvin Mora into an inning-ending groundout.
"That was a pivotal part of the game, as far as trying to get back in it," Trembley said. "We did not have anything as far as a scoring opportunity up to that point in time. A two-out hit there certainly would have been welcomed and would have got us back in the game."
Ultimately it didn't matter because the Orioles' bullpen allowed five runs, four charged to struggling right-hander Bob McCrory.
"The bad thing was, including myself, we should have scored more runs to help the pitchers," Mora said.
Note: Trembley said right fielder Nick Markakis, who has been in a prolonged slump, might not start tonight. Markakis has played in every Orioles game this year and started all but one, June 21 at Philadelphia. He entered that game in the eighth inning.
He hadn't walked more than three batters in any of his first 10 big league starts.
On Monday, in a 9-2 beating by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Orioles' fifth straight defeat, Tillman again walked only three.
But they were issued consecutively in Toronto's three-run third, the turning point in what later became a blowout courtesy of the Orioles' bullpen.
"That was one of those things that all of a sudden hit you and then it was gone. How did that just happen? What just happened?" Tillman said of the three walks. "I got in the dugout after that inning and obviously I was mad, but I was shocked more than mad. I don't know what happened there."
With the defeat, the Orioles (60-90) clinched their seventh 90-loss season in their past nine. The franchise had just five 90-loss seasons from 1954 to 2000.
They are 30 games under .500 for the first time since 2001.
The hope is that pitchers like Tillman, 21, and Brian Matusz, 22, learn enough this year to establish a foundation for the future. Orioles manager Dave Trembley sees Monday's loss - which gave the Blue Jays (67-83) a 7-6 advantage in the season series - as another lesson learned.
Because after Tillman's first two scoreless but uneven innings, and his control lapse in the third, the rookie rebounded and pitched two perfect frames.
"He gives you glimpses and he shows you at times what he is going to be all about. That's what excites you about him," Trembley said. "But then he kind of runs into a little bit of a wall and has trouble finishing off hitters."
Tillman (2-4) was pulled in the sixth after surrendering a solo homer to Lyle Overbay on his 100th pitch that gave the Jays a 4-1 lead. He was charged with four runs on six hits in five-plus innings.
The key hit in the third was an unlikely one: a bouncer up the middle by Adam Lind with runners on second and third. The single perfectly split shortstop Cesar Izturis and second baseman Brian Roberts.
The ball nicked Roberts' outstretched glove and rolled into shallow center, enabling Aaron Hill to score from second with the go-ahead run. After getting the second out, Tillman walked three straight, including Travis Snider's RBI free pass.
"I felt like I made my pitches when I had to," said Tillman, who will get at least one more start before his season ends. "They hit, I think, four ground balls and got three runs out of it. That kind of stuff happens. I guess I work on the bad and continue the good and go from here."
The Orioles' offense, which had scored nine total runs in its past four losses, was stymied by Toronto's David Purcey, who had allowed 22 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings in the majors this year (6.32 ERA).
Purcey (1-2) gave up just one run - a two-out RBI single by Felix Pie in the second - and allowed only four hits through 7 2/3 innings. At one point he retired 10 straight before loading the bases in the eighth on two walks and a hit.
It was the Orioles' best threat, but reliever Shawn Camp induced Melvin Mora into an inning-ending groundout.
"That was a pivotal part of the game, as far as trying to get back in it," Trembley said. "We did not have anything as far as a scoring opportunity up to that point in time. A two-out hit there certainly would have been welcomed and would have got us back in the game."
Ultimately it didn't matter because the Orioles' bullpen allowed five runs, four charged to struggling right-hander Bob McCrory.
"The bad thing was, including myself, we should have scored more runs to help the pitchers," Mora said.
Note: Trembley said right fielder Nick Markakis, who has been in a prolonged slump, might not start tonight. Markakis has played in every Orioles game this year and started all but one, June 21 at Philadelphia. He entered that game in the eighth inning.
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they sux and they will long as that idiot keeps makin money off the redsox fans and the yankees
ironrider (09/22/2009, 7:28 PM )