Courtesy of Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

If we’re talking about runs surrendered, Tillman dealt with the “trouble” very well. The aforementioned home run was the only run he gave up. Tillman’s line: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K. That’s a pretty decent stat line from the Orioles’ standpoint. However the one area where Tillman did struggle just a bit was the same aspect in which Oriole starters have struggled all year: pitch count. Part of that has to do with the seven strikeouts, as that costs a bare minimum of 21 pitches right there. After four innings Tillman had thrown 92 pitches, but he finished with 112 total pitches in the game (over his final three innings he only threw 20 pitches total). Tillman seemed to step it up a notch in the sixth inning when Carlos Quentin made another home run bid (or at the very least a bid for extra bases) by sending a shot to center field. However Adam Jones chased the ball down and made a leaping catch at the wall, awarding Quentin nothing more than a loud out for his trouble.

The Orioles tied the score at one in the third inning when Ryan Flaherty sent an opposite-field home run into the left field grandstand. For the record, San Diego starter Andrew Cashner was as solid as Tillman was. I think that there are probably a lot of Orioles’ fans out there this morning who are complaining about the team’s offensive production last night, and perhaps justifiably so in many aspects. However this was an old fashioned pitchers’ duel. Guys not getting on base is what happens in these kinds of games. San Diego manager Bud Black probably left Cashner in just a bit too long, as he started to elevate his pitches in the last of the eighth. Ryan Flaherty drew a walk, and was lifted for pinch runner Alexi Casilla…who promptly stole second and then went to third on an E2. Steve Pearce‘s RBI-single scored Casilla, and the O’s suddenly led this game late by the score of 2-1.

So with the Orioles taking the lead in the last of the eighth, that meant the top of the ninth was Jim Johnson time. Johnson of course held a team record of 35 consecutive saves converted (and counting). Good morning, good afternoon, and good night, right? Generally speaking, yes. San Diego had two outs and a runner on third, and Chris Denorfia sent a single up the middle which scored the runner from third and tied the game. That goes as a blown save for Johnson, ending his consecutive games saved streak. Nick Hundley was hit by a pitch, which put Denorfia in scoring position, and Everth Cabrera‘s RBI-single scored Denorfia. Suddenly the Birds trailed, and while they got the tying run on base in the last of the ninth they were unable to bring it across home plate.

The issue at hand is not Johnson’s consecutive games saved streak, but moreso the fact that this was a game that the Orioles would rather not have dropped. However the fact is that a baseball season comes with 60 wins and 60 losses all but guaranteed. Included in those 60 losses will be games like this. For the Orioles, it seems that the shoe is almost always on the other foot in these kinds of games, especially at home. Furthermore with regard to Johnson, as Buck Showalter always says, we’re dealing with human beings here. Nobody feels worse about that than Johnson, but even he knew that at some point he’d blow a save. As I said above, pitchers will eventually get themselves in trouble. Jim Johnson’s no exception to that.

It’s also easy to say that the Orioles would have won this game had they gotten more people on base, scored more runs, etc. That goes without saying. However the ebb and flow of the game was that of a pitcher’s duel. Today might well be an offensive shoot out for all we know. part of baseball is taking the good with the bad. Luckily for the Orioles, not only do they get back on the horse today, but they get to do so early. This afternoon’s series finale is a 12:35 “businessman’s special.” All of Birdland – I REPEAT – All of Birdland has my expressed and written permission to skip out of work to attend today’s game! That aside, Freddy Garcia will take to the mound for the Birds this afternoon, against a San Diego team of which he was a part during Spring Training. He didn’t make the roster out of camp, and later signed with the O’s. Garcia will be opposed by crafty southpaw Jason Marquis.

Incidentally, the Orioles made a few roster moves prior to yesterday’s game. Wei-Yin Chen was sent to the 15-day DL with a strained oblique, and as a corresponding move the O’s recalled Alex Burnett. On Monday the Orioles had also optioned Mike Belfiore back to triple-A Norfolk; yesterday they announced the corresponding move, which was to recall infielder Yamaico Navarro. With the off days being what they are, the O’s won’t need a fifth starter until next week. Burnett will serve as bullpen support and Navarro as bench support in the interim.

Courtesy of Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Tillman pitched a fairly solid six innings, although he did give up two homers. Tillman’s line: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K. Tillman was lifted after the sixth in favor of Troy Patton due to a bit of a high pitch count (93 pitches). Some might argue that he could have come back out to at least begin the seventh, however keep in mind that Buck Showalter‘s been caught a couple of times this year with a starter who’s suddenly lost it due to fatigue (in trying to extend them one more inning or so) and the bullpen’s had to scramble to get ready. Tillman surrendered a homer to Mike Moustakas and later a two-run shot to Alex Gordon. However overall it goes down as another quality start for Tillman and another quality start for the Orioles’ pitching staff.

Matt Wieters led off the last of the second with a single, and was followed by J.J. Hardy who promptly sent a 1-1 pitch curling around the left field foul pole for a two-run homer. Kansas City had a bit of a defensive meltdown in the fifth inning, which gift-wrapped the Orioles three extra runs. Following a Chris Dickerson double, Nate McLouth reached base on a fielder’s choice and an error (the latter of which allowed Dickerson to go to third). Manny Machado then singled Dickerson home, and promptly stole second base to move two runners into scoring position with McLouth at third. Two errors and a wild pitch later, and the Orioles had two more runs plated.

A lot of people might argue that the Orioles only won this game due to Kansas City’s sloppy play. First off, keep in mind that baseball’s a sport that’s based on failure; whomever fails the least is going to win. However many of those mistakes don’t occur if the Orioles don’t push the envelope. The O’s were very aggressive on the base paths in game one of this series as well as last night. That makes a difference in terms of how a team sets up it’s defense, and it also might well force them into mistakes because the defenders think that they absolutely have to make a perfectly timed throw. Two of those three fifth inning runs were in fact unearned, so if you take those two runs away it’s a tie game (all other things being equal of course). But if a good pitcher minimizes the damage when he gets in trouble (which incidentally is exactly what Chris Tillman did last night), a good team will also not let their opponent off the hook when they falter.

The O’s will go for the series sweep in the finale of this series with Kansas City as well as this brief homestand. (I’m sure the O’s are thrilled to have been on the west coast for eleven games only to get a token three home games before heading back out on the road, but luckily it’s only a three-game road swing in Minnesota.) Former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie will make his first start against the O’s since being traded to Colorado last year. In fact, it’s his first career start overall against the O’s. Freddy Garcia will make his Camden Yards debut for the O’s, of course coming off of his sparkling outing last Saturday in Anaheim that included a no-hit bid.

Buck Showalter also said yesterday that Miguel Gonzalez is penciled in to start Saturday in Minnesota, however that’s potentially in limbo depending on how his right hand is fairing after having a blister issue last week. If necessary, Gonzalez could be sent to the DL which would require the Birds to make a roster move and call someone up from the minors. They could also opt to use a pitcher already on the roster (out of the bullpen), but that all remains to be seen.

We saw some drama early on in the game when after two walks Tillman allowed a single with two on to Josh Hamilton. Mike Trout appeared to be coming in to score, however Nick Markakis teamed up with Matt Wieters to nail the youngster at home plate. That set an early tone to a game that the Orioles would dominate from start to finish. Nolan Reimold scored on Manny Machado‘s RBI-single in the third inning, and the Orioles led 1-0. Adam Jones would score on Chris Davis‘ RBI-double in the sixth, and Reimold would score again in the seventh to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead on a Nick Markakis RBI-double.

Anaheim starter Joe Blanton actually matched Tillman pitch-for-pitch to a certain point. Both pitchers went eight innings, however Blanton tired out at the end. This is the second consecutive night that the Orioles have been held at bay by a pitcher who had been struggling. After Blanton departed with the O’s leading 3-0, Nate McLouth sent a deep shot to center following a Reimold infield single. The ball going over the wall all but sealed the game for the O’s, although Albert Pujols would homer off of closer Jim Johnson in the last of the ninth to put the final score at 5-1. (Johnson had already been warming up when McLouth hit the home run, however he hadn’t appeared in a game since Saturday in Oakland so Buck Showalter went ahead and played him.)

Courtesy of Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

This was perhaps the best start of Chris Tillman’s still young career. Besides the longevity in the game and the three hits, the thing that sticks out for me is how many first pitch strikes that were thrown. Granted he was pitching against a lineup that’s keenly aware of the fact that they’re supposed to be much better than their record indicates, and it’s possible that they’re pushing a bit too much. However that’s exactly what can happen when a pitcher attacks the strike zone as opposed to tentatively nibbling. That makes a big difference sometimes. The affect of Trout being thrown out at home plate early in the game probably can’t be understated either. That could have been a totally different game had the Orioles trailed early. One thing is certain however; they wouldn’t have given up in the game.

The series continues tonight at 10 PM eastern time as Miguel Gonzalez returns to the scene of his first big league start last year to pitch against Anaheim. He’ll be opposed by Jason Vargas, who’s coming off his best start of the season last Sunday against Seattle. This is good news for Orioles fans, as this will be the final 10 PM game of this incredibly long western road trip for the Orioles. Tomorrow’s game is at 4 PM, and Sunday at 3:30 before the Orioles head home for an off day and then open up a brief three-game homestand with Kansas City coming to town.