Chris Tillman had every reason to be happy with his first exhibition appearance. He threw two perfect innings and his previously sore back did not betray him.
"I think it went well,'' he said. "I just wanted to locate my fastball tonight and they made me do that a little bit. For the first one in four months, it felt good. I threw all my pitches, mainly fastball. But I threw about four or five offspeed pitches. I was satisfied with my fastball location. That's what I was working on tonight."
He said that he was careful to warm up thoroughly because of the back spasm that slowed him briefly at the start of training camp.
"I took more precaution getting warm,'' he said. "I got out here early, did some sprints, a little more stretching with the trainers there. Not that I felt it, but I just wanted to get a little more stretching in before I got out there and started playing catch."
It's obvious to everyone that Tillman is more comfortable on the major league roster this year, and it's obvious to him, too.
"A whole lot more,'' Tillman said. "I was like a deer in the headlights last year. But after building a relationship with the staff and the players, it makes it a whole lot easier for me."
Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron