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Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (pictured) was on his way to his second strong performance in a row when he grabbed at his side and exited Sunday's game with a right oblique strain. That's very bad news for a team that already has called on four Triple-A starters to fill in the fifth slot in the rotation and replace injured Miguel Gonzalez. It was a tough week already, after so-so outings by Jason Hammel, Freddy Garcia and Steve Johnson, and that was reflected in the combined numbers. The rotation posted a 2-2 record with a 6.03 ERA and averaged just five innings per start. Even though the team managed to go 4-2 in those games, this is starting to get scary.
Grade: D (Hannah Foslien / Getty Images /May 12, 2013)
Despite allowing a wind-aided, two-run homer to Michael Young in his third inning of work on Sunday afternoon against the Phillies, Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman said his second start felt much better than his first.
“A little bit of everything [was better],” Tillman said. “My timing was better. I had a little more command of my pitches. The first time out, I felt a little awkward. I felt much better this time and I’m happy with that.”
Tillman needed just 25 pitches to get through his first two innings of work, allowing just a pair of leadoff hits. He allowed another leadoff hit in the third, a Cesar Hernandez single. Three batters later, Young hit a ball to left-center field that drifted over the fence just in front of the flags blowing out.
“I made a bad pitch either way,” Tillman said when asked if he believed Young's homer was helped by the wind. “I guess I deserved it, but fortunately I finished a little bit better down in the zone. I think the wind is blowing for both teams.”
In his first outing of the spring Wednesday night against Boston, Tillman battled with his command and was unable to finish his second inning of work, hurt by two walks and one hit over 1 2/3 innings.
Both runs off Tillman Sunday came off Young’s homer. He allowed four hits, one walk and struck out three before he was removed after 2 2/3 innings because of pitch count.
“I would have liked to have finished that on a better note but I felt like I got better as I went and even my offspeed kind of came on there towards the end after that first hit in the third inning,” Tillman said. “I definitely come out of this with a positive mindset and I think I took a step forward today.”
