Chris TIllman’s first start of the 2017 season got off to a shaky start. The workhorse would walk the first two hitters for the White Sox on nine pitches while mixing in a mound visit from Francisco Pena. Jose Abreu would follow with an eight-pitch at-bat that ended with a pop-out to first baseman Chris Davis. The bases were loaded up on a fielder’s choice in which Manny Machado‘s throw to second was late, allowing Avisail Garcia to reach.
Tillman, however, managed to wiggle out of trouble, getting a lineout to short from Todd Frazier and a groundout to first from Cody Ashce. All told, Tillman threw 23 pitches in the first inning but did not surrender a run.
In the bottom half of the inning, Jose Quintana was equally wild, walking Adam Jones and Machado after getting Joey Rickard on a popout to start the frame. Mark Trumbo would reach on an infield hit to load the bases after a successful manager’s challenge overturned the ruling of “out” on the field. Chris Davis would drive in the Orioles first run on a sacrifice fly to right, and Trey Mancini capped the scoring for the inning with an RBI single to right before J.J. Hardy struck out to end the inning.
Tillman settled down a bit in the second inning, retiring the side on 18 pitches while allowing a 2-out single. Quintana, however, struggled again. After a 28 pitch first inning in which he allowed two hits, two walks, and two runs, Quintana would throw 32 pitches in the second inning, allowing two more runs on four hits while walking one.
Tillman would go on to pitch five scoreless frames, leaving the game with a 4-0 lead and a chance to win his first game in his first start of the year. His final pitching line read: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K, 0 ER.
Alec Asher replacedTillman and pitch 3.1 scoreless innings before giving way to Brad Brach with one out in the ninth. He would allow five hits and walk none while striking out two. For Brach, it was his team-leading seventh save.
For the Orioles, the offensive showing was a welcomed sight considering the pitcher they were facing. Viewed as one of the top young southpaws in the game, the Orioles made Quintana look very pedestrian, as he was bounced after five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and three walks. The Orioles entered the game batting just .232 as a team against left-handed pitching, but went 9-23 (.391) vs. Quintana.
The offense was paced by Trey Mancini and Joey Rickard, both of whom collected three hits, the former adding his 18th RBI in the first inning. Pena recorded two hits in his first start behind the plate before exiting the game with an injury, later revealed by Buck Showalter to be simple cramping of the arm.
Notes:
- White Sox manager Rick Renteria was ejected by home plate umpire Paul Emmel in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes.
- Francisco Pena left the game after suffering a thumb injury during 8th inning warm-ups. Caleb Joseph took his spot.
- Joey Rickard had an 11-pitch at-bat before singling in the second inning.
- Trey Mancini’s RBI in the first inning was his 18th, putting him just two behind team leader Manny Machado.
- The 4-0 victory was the team’s third shutout and first since 4/21.
- This was the fourth consecutive win for the Orioles and first three-game series sweep.
- Time of game was 3:04.
- Attendance for today’s game was 31,806.
