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As the beer can rained down from the upper deck in the general direction of Nate McLouth last night, I was reminded of a classic Mystery Science Theater 3000 skit. Oh, Canada, you are a place I must eschew!
Now let's go ahead and forget all about last night, except for the parts where Kevin Gausman was awesome. New game tonight, and still a chance to win three in a row and take the series. Chris Tillman will be the one taking the carpet in this game, which is a surprisingly encouraging thing when you consider that he's been the only consistent and healthy starter. I mean, how did that happen, anyway? Especially when you look at his 3.52 BB/9 and 1.34 HR/9. He may, in fact, be due for a giant bowl of regression, with a 3.52 ERA against a 4.68 FIP. Well, don't start tonight, Chris.
The main man for Tillman to watch out for tonight is Jose Bautista, who has two home runs off of him in 15 plate appearances. That'll do it.
Starting for the Blue Jays tonight is Sean Nolin, who is making the leap from AA to MLB all at once, and he has pitched a total of six games at AA. He was Toronto's 6th-round pick in the 2010 draft, with an impressive enough 2.92 ERA over 246 career professional innings. He's struck out over a batter per inning in that time. The game is a little tougher up here, and in those six AA games he's only averaged five innings per start. It is bad for Toronto that they need Nolin for this game, and it will be worse for the Orioles if they can't take advantage of a guy in his debut.
Plus, if Sean Nolin wins his MLB debut and Gausman didn't, that's just wrong, you know? So go ahead and kick the crap out of this guy and we won't have to worry about it. Thanks, Orioles.
Oh, and if the bullpen could stop sucking, that would be great, too.