Tigers 6, Orioles 5: Chris Tillman's OJT
by Stacey on Aug 3, 2009 10:49 PM EDT
in Post-Game
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PrintChris Tillman made his second major league start tonight and it's obvious he's going through some major growing pains when it comes to the pitching in the majors. First lesson to be learned by young Chris is that it's not as easy to blow his fastball by batters in the majors as it was in the minors. Especially when said fastball is left up in the zone.
But despite his pitching line (6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K), it wasn't all bad news. Tillman's natural talent is obvious, and it's easy to imagine a time in the near future when he's dominating big league hitters on a regular basis. His curveball was just gorgeous once he started throwing it and of his 3 wild pitches, at least 2 should have been blocked by Matt Wieters. A number of the hits he gave up were pretty cheap, and well, I already mentioned the fast ball.
As I watched Tillman pitch tonight my first thought was, "Is he really ready?" But then I stopped myself. No matter when Tillman got called up to the MLB, he was going to have to take his lumps, and I'd rather he took them this year when the wins and losses don't mean anything. If he can get a feel for pitching in the majors and go into the off season knowing even more and having an idea of what he needs to work on, the Orioles will be better for it. It was a frustrating loss, for sure, but it wasn't a pointless game the way so many in the past have been.
The Orioles hitter faced a tough task tonight with Justin Verlander. Not only is Verlander one of the best pitchers in the game this year, going into tonight he was 7-0 at home with a 1.15 ERA and a 1.021 WHIP. Until tonight, he'd never given up more than 3 runs in an outing at home.
The way the Orioles started the game, you'd never know those stats existed. Brian Roberts led off the game with an absolute shot to right field. It was a great HR. Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis all singled to load the bases for Aubrey Huff. Huff hit a grounder to 2nd that looked like a double play, but Aubrey hustled down the line and beat the throw as Reimold scored the 2nd run of the game. Ty Wigginton followed with a double down the third base line to score Adam Jones, and the slumping Luke Scott slapped an opposite field double to score Jones and Wiggy. The O's scored 5 runs against Verlander in the first inning, more runs than Verlander had allowed at home all year. That'd be all the Orioles would get against Verlander as they managed just three more hits and one walk over the final 8 innings. In the end Verlander pitched 8 innings with the first being the only blemish on his night. He struck out 8 and walked just 1, throwing 119 pitches.
Clete Thomas is the Tigers own personal Oriole Killer for 2009. Going into tonight, Clete Thomas was batting .264/.337/.448 with 6 HR and 8 2B. In 5 games against the Orioles this season, including tonight, Thomas is 8 for 19 with 3 HR, 2 2B, 4 R, and 6 RBI. And his name is Clete. I rest my case. So, this Clete Thomas did what he apparently does best and hit a walk off HR off of Danys Baez in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Tigers a 6-5 win.
The O's do it all again tomorrow, only this time it's Brian Matusz making his major league debut. It's still a little shocking that two-thirds of the holy trinity are in the majors. I'm having a little trouble processing it, actually. I suppose the more we see them the less weird it will get. Matusz faces off against Jarrod Washburn, making his Tigers debut.
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sorry about the delay getting this up
I got distracted by an episode of How I Met Your Mother
I will lead these Peoples to the promised land, also known as "Slightly Ahead of the Blue Jays." ~WietersRunDry
Curveball
It looked nasty and fooled the Tigers
Hey guys, I have an Orioles blog so check it out.
www.snaorioles.com
by Jordan Tuwiner on Aug 3, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Vote Claw Megadeth.
"I hate making excuses. If I suck, then I suck. And I suck. That's the way I'm playing. If you suck, you suck. You have to take responsibility in this game. Right now, that's the way I feel. Yes, I suck." - Jose Guillen/quote of the year
me 3!
"Hey ump, how about a warning? Sure. Watch out you don't get killed". -Moonlight Graham talking to an umpire after two straight pitches at his head
by BaltimoreSportsFan on Aug 4, 2009 8:07 AM EDT up reply actions
...
THE CLAW!!!!
The O's will contend in 2010
by O's n Natty Bohs on Aug 4, 2009 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions
well
Danys Baez another member of this team who has no future with us but insistes on ruining the present. Although if you look at his ERA this was predictable.
Get out the rye bread and mustard grandma, cause it's GRAND SALAMI TIME!
by WestcoastO'sFan on Aug 3, 2009 11:31 PM EDT reply actions
In his defense
he looked awesome in the 8th. He was 1 strike away from getting us through the 8th AND 9th innings. This one is on the offense, which couldnt score a single run after the 1st inning.
Matt Wieters can get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop in under one lick.
in their defense
they did score FIVE agianst one of the best pitchers in baseball, who was clearly ON after that first inning
Get out the rye bread and mustard grandma, cause it's GRAND SALAMI TIME!
by WestcoastO'sFan on Aug 4, 2009 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions
well yeah
but, whatever… im not suprised, if Tillman had pitched as well in the first as he had in say the second we would have won
Get out the rye bread and mustard grandma, cause it's GRAND SALAMI TIME!
by WestcoastO'sFan on Aug 4, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Someone beat me to it
The 8th was AMAZING. The first batter was out looking on 3 beautiful strikes.
My impression of Tillman
Lights out stuff. Great fastball: he was still throwing 95 in his last inning and when it’s at the knees it’s nasty. Incredible curveball: he was throwing it both breaking into the zone for called strikes and starting in the zone and breaking out for swinging strikes – it’s really a dirty dirty pitch. Good change-up: threw a lot more of them later in the game and I thought they were really good. He left one up to CG in his last AB, but he got lucky and it was just a flyout. A lot of the lefties were very fooled on it (expecially the strikeout of Guillen).
Overall I thought it was a step in the right direction. His stuff looked dramatically better in this game and like Stacey said a lot of the hits were cheap. A couple of the walks really hurt him (I think 2 of the three scored) so hopefully he’ll cut those down a bit. Really encouraging start for him all in all though.
Good points
I didn’t get to watch after the first inning but it appears as though he really settled down after the first inning. You can’t expect a young pitcher to be great immediately because it just doesn’t happen that often (especially in terms of consistency) but Tillman shows good signs of becoming a great pitcher.
"I have seen the future and his name is Matt Wieters." Keith Law
by Reddrummer9187 on Aug 4, 2009 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
i'm not so sure the hits were cheap
but it was a hell of a lot better than last game. when you give up 3 homers, generally you won’t win (just ask jeremy guthrie)
did he not give up 3 hrs in his debut?
or did i miss something there?
by twistedlogic on Aug 4, 2009 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Ok I didn’t make the connection that you were talking about his first game (I’m tired).
The hits last night were MUCH cheaper than the first game. Really only 3 well-hit balls – Granderson’s 3b, Cabrera’s 2B and his HR. Polanco’s 2B was a garbage blooper and Santiago’s ball was just well placed.
santiago's ball coulda been a 2b
we’re lucky jones is fast and cut that off. if that ball gets by him it’s a double (although the run would have scored anyways)
by twistedlogic on Aug 4, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions
yea thats true
although you can almost say that about any ball that stays inside the park
by twistedlogic on Aug 4, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
It is clear
that the CLAW should take over the spot that Baez had at the beginning of the year, next year after Danys has left. Maybe even the setup role.
Get out the rye bread and mustard grandma, cause it's GRAND SALAMI TIME!
No one was actually Birdland
Cla was the most Birdland, but no one actually achieved Most Birdland status.
"There's only one cure for what's wrong with all of us pitchers, and that's to take a year off. Then, after you've gone a year without throwing, quit altogether." -Jim Palmer
agreed
the offense just died after the first inning. when a guy gives up 5 in the first and still pitches 8 innings and we still lose, it puts me in a sour mood
He Said it
“The rest of the year, we’re going to be learning on the job,” he said. “I’ve been through this before where you’re going to have to take your lumps. You’re going to have some younger guys go out there and struggle, but they’re going to do well, too. … This team’s getting younger every day, and you’ve just got to be patient and let the young guys play every day. If we’re going to lose, then you want to lose with guys who will be here in the future.”
… Aubrey Huff
He’s right we all know that he is. It just hurts to know that as close as Tillman is he isn’t there yet.
"Just like an a**hole! Everyone has one and it's usually full of *hit!!!!" -Warren Sapp
"People have been listening to Jim Palmer talk since before I was born because he is right. Sit down, shut up and listen to what he has to say."- I said it so bite me.
these guys...
raise your hand if you got the feeling the o’s wouldn’t score again after they posted their 5? raise your hand if you got a sense of foreboding when danys boy came out for the 9th?
"If they pitch to you, make them pay."
--Diamond Dave to the Phenom
Danys
I’m just curious why we didn’t move Dany Suckazz at the deadline. I know that we prob would’ve had to eat some of his salary and would’ve gotten a C to C+ prospect at best, but HONESTLY, i think organizational filler would be better than this guy killing us night in and night out. He’s taking valuable time away from Mickolio and other younger guys who could get the call up. He SUCKS
The O's will contend in 2010
by O's n Natty Bohs on Aug 4, 2009 9:03 AM EDT reply actions
well well well
so that didn’t work, even though i ended the strikethrough. Either way, the point of my post was:
DANYS BAEZ SUCKS
The O's will contend in 2010
by O's n Natty Bohs on Aug 4, 2009 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions
We didn't trade Baez
Because there was minimal interest in him and he gets a half million dollar bonus if we trade him. So we could not even dump salary.
"I have seen the future and his name is Matt Wieters." Keith Law
by Reddrummer9187 on Aug 4, 2009 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Who makes the contract agreements for the Orioles
Were we that desperate to sign Danys give him that much in a contract? Is his agent Scott Boras?
"Losing teams find ways to beat themselves" Jim Palmer
whats OJT stand for again?
"On my tombstone just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived.'"
Earl Weaver
on the job training...im guessing?
"On my tombstone just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived.'"
Earl Weaver
How to watch these games
I saw (most of) the first five innings and then had to turn off the game.That’s fitting in that we are supposed to be watching the youth develop while accepting that the Orioles will lose, right? It worked pretty well for me, and it was good to see a glimmer of hope that the O’s will actually have a good pitcher. Once Tillman gets confident with the offspeed stuff and guys can’t sit on his fastball things will get a lot better.
So, how many innings yuo figure Matusz goes tonight?
I'll be positive and say 5 innings
I have yet to see him pitch at all, highlights or anything, so I really can’t say much about him. Low ERA, not overpowering fastball, and 3 solid MLB ready pitches, that is all I know, but just from looking at other people’s comments.
just avoid walks and the homer and he'll be fine
he gives up hits then he gives up hits. oh well. he wont give up THAT many runs if he avoids walks and homers
by twistedlogic on Aug 4, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
If the Tigers wanted Luke so badly
they should have offered Clete for him.
"I don't like to be here and just thinking about in October I'm going to go on vacation " -- Melmo moaning about being benched when he's hitting .256/.321/.330
Matusz will have a good game
Brian pitches “backwards”. His off speed and breaking balls are his bread and butter. He has command of those pitches. He mixes his fastball in with them. Thus he should have them off balance.
"Losing teams find ways to beat themselves" Jim Palmer
Virgin Poster here....
O’s fan in Phoenix AZ….grew up rooting for Boog Powell and co. (we share the same last name)……I enjoy reading you nuts and thought I’d join in occasionally…..
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