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Tillman, Orioles conclude set at Detroit

Jun 19, 2013 - 6:15 PM (Sports Network) - Chris Tillman tries to win his fifth straight decision on Wednesday when the Baltimore Orioles conclude a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Tillman won his third consecutive start on Friday against Boston, as he scattered three hits over six scoreless innings to run his record to 7-2 on the year to go along with a 3.61 ERA.

"I said it in the spring," O's manager Buck Showalter said. "Chris came in full aware that he was out of options. But he pitched like a guy who had three and didn't want to go to (Triple-A) Norfolk. And that shows a lot of maturity, because he wanted to be a guy for us this year - and he has been so far."

Tillman has faced the Tigers four times and is 1-0 with a 4.07 ERA against them.

Detroit will counter with a righty who has been equally effective of late in Rick Porcello, who has allowed just one earned run in winning his last two starts. Porcello was terrific in Minnesota on Friday, as he yielded three hits over seven scoreless innings to run his record to 4-3, while lowering his ERA to 4.37.

"He was terrific," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said after the start. "He kept the ball on the ground. A good sinker, but the stuff that really set his sinker up lately is his secondary stuff. They're not just sitting on a fastball any more. That's been a huge difference for him in my opinion."

Porcello lost to the O's earlier in the year and is just 1-4 lifetime versus them with a 4.50 ERA in six starts.

Baltimore bounced back from a loss in Monday's opener on Tuesday, as Adam Jones clubbed a three-run home run to help the Orioles take a 5-2 win and even the series.

J.J. Hardy hit a two-run home run while Zach Britton (1-1) gave up a run on five hits with three walks over 5 1/3 innings for the Orioles, who have won four of six.

Baltimore has now homered in seven straight games, raising its major league- leading total to 95.

Justin Verlander (8-5) had won his previous four decisions, but gave up all five runs on seven hits over five innings to take the loss.

"His command of his fastball was not good," Leyland said about Verlander. "He had the velocity and had to go to it too early. If you had to sum it up simply, he didn't have command of his fastball."

Matt Tuiasosopo hit a solo home run and Austin Jackson drove in the other run for the Tigers, who lost for only the second time in their last five games.

Baltimore took two of three from the Tigers earlier in the year.