Chris Tillman turned in likely the best outing of the season for an Orioles starter in his eight innings of shutout ball against the Angels in Anaheim on Thursday night. It took Tillman 114 pitches to work eight frames, he scattered just three hits, walked two and strikeout three.
After the first innings, Tillman didn’t throw more than 19 pitches in an inning and threw 12 or fewer between the third and seventh. He was incredibly efficient, throwing 64 percent of his pitches for strikes.
My biggest takeaway from Tillman’s effort was his fastball velocity. Over his career, Tillman’s average fastball has been clocked at 91.89 MPH. On Thursday, he averaged 93.10 and hit 96.19 late in the game.
Maybe it’s that southern California heat or perhaps Tillman was just amped up to pitch in his hometown.
Think about that trade. Tillman, Jones and All Star George Sherill for Erik Bedard. The Mariners got fleeced almost as bad as the Rangers when they gave us Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter. O’s have made some shrewd trades and maybe that’s why some GMs were reluctant to trade with them this offseason.