Chris Tillman

[DrungoHazewood]

First inning against Detroit in the playoffs.....he was hitting 96. And I believe he struck out the side. I could be wrong about that last point.

Chris's fastball sits anywhere between 88 and 96 on any given outing. Unusual for so much disparity, but we've seen him flash that stuff before he's just not consistent with it from outing to outing.

Here's hoping to more outings with that fastball in the mid-90's than the high-80's. When he is on he has an above average fastball and an above average curveball. He has the stuff, at times, of a TOR starter.

Maybe big games get the adrenalin going and he's amped up to another level. I say they have him listen to some punk or speed-metal, and chug 6-8 energy drinks before his next start and see what happens.

[Redskins Rick]

Small sample size but awfully encouraging. If he could just be good, and not great it would give this rotation a huge lift.

The ball was jumping out of his hand, he was painting the corners and he had a ton of movement on his ball.

He was rockin his mojo for sure.

Going to be a fun season!!

[Tx Oriole]

I am quite angry they started that game when they did. I mean does no one look at a radar? To start for 2 innings and then go to an hour and a half delay is moronic and caused both teams to go to their bullpens when they wouldn't otherwise have done so. Didn't make sense. It's a real shame because Tillman looked real good.

Be happy with the win.

[Redskins Rick]

Be happy with the win.

They could have won 18-4 and somebody would be on here, complaining about the pitching giving up 4 runs.

[Sanfran327]

I was also pleasantly surprised with Tillman. Maybe last year he was dealing with some discomfort - maybe multiple guys were. That's why I never really got too low during ST. I'll take the regular season as it comes. Good first day.

With that being said, how happy should we be with this performance? Someone else already made the comment about how inconsistent he can be from start to start. I'd like to see 2-3 more of these before I start getting too excited.

[Redskins Rick]

I was also pleasantly surprised with Tillman. Maybe last year he was dealing with some discomfort - maybe multiple guys were. That's why I never really got too low during ST. I'll take the regular season as it comes. Good first day.

With that being said, how happy should we be with this performance? Someone else already made the comment about how inconsistent he can be from start to start. I'd like to see 2-3 more of these before I start getting too excited.

Roch wrote something in the off-season about Brady putting 15 pounds an off-season on him, by adding to his muscle mass, to help his stamina and fastball.

He must have plateau, because he hit the wall last season, it effected his whole rythem all season.

[Roll Tide]

Yes, he dominated those 2 innings...

It will go down in history as the greatest 2 innings ever pitched:)

Wilson is the guy that deserves credit. I personally thought he should be in the rotation over Wright. I hope they both succeed. Go O's!

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Pretty happy with the pitching.

[jjnono]

Maybe big games get the adrenalin going and he's amped up to another level. I say they have him listen to some punk or speed-metal, and chug 6-8 energy drinks before his next start and see what happens.

[TouchemAll]

Tillman always had a 95mph fastball, it would just disappear and reappear with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Well, the reason is probably mechanics. I'd be a little more wary of it simply disappearing again if he hadn't basically carried it all ST. I really, really hope the good stuff stays, because that's the guy we need on this staff (and frankly, the guy we traded for a billion years ago).

The curve was legit, too. I'm a little sad we didn't get to see what he could have done with 6 innings, but oh well.

Like Buck said, "It just leaves more bullets for later".

[PeteU]

If you put aside the obvious minuscule sample size, this was perhaps the greatest Opening Day staring performance in Orioles history.

[Redskins Rick]

If you put aside the obvious minuscule sample size, this was perhaps the greatest Opening Day staring performance in Orioles history.

I liked the 2-1 over Boston in 2014, personally.

Not, that I didn't like yesterday's game.

Been a lot of good OD games, hard to say that was the best.

[BohKnowsBmore]

Yes, he dominated those 2 innings...

It will go down in history as the greatest 2 innings ever pitched:)

Wilson is the guy that deserves credit. I personally thought he should be in the rotation over Wright. I hope they both succeed. Go O's!

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Why not give credit to both?

[BohKnowsBmore]

I liked the 2-1 over Boston in 2014, personally.

Not, that I didn't like yesterday's game.

Been a lot of good OD games, hard to say that was the best.

I think he was referring to the SP specifically. Hard to do better than 3.7 pitches per batter, facing the minimum, 5/6 strikeouts and a weak pop out.

[Sir_Loin]

We have seen Tillman like this before. Check out his start when he was recalled to start against the Mariners in 2012.

95-97 fastball, 83-85 change, and 77 hammer 12-6 curve. Tillman has always had it, it's just a matter of consistency.

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/19005548/v22840537/balsea-tillman-stymies-mariners-over-8-13-innings/?query=tillman

[clapdiddy]

I liked the movement on some of his fastballs in that video as well. Especially the second pitch he threw...that was nasty!