But after dropping a tough game by a score of 4-3 on Friday night, the Orioles soared back to win the next two games to not only take the series, but to move two games ahead of the Tigers and the Yankees in the race for the second wild card spot while also tying Toronto for the top spot, and pulling themselves to just two games behind the first place Red Sox in the chase for the division title.
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As innings have piled up this season, the starts have become a little more erratic for 23-year-old Fulmer, but he had his best start in almost a month in the opening game of a key three-game series battling for a wild card spot.
Chris Tillman is back from the disabled list – and looks ready to help the Baltimore Orioles in their push for the playoffs. Fulmer pitched seven innings in Friday’s 4-3 win. “My sinker was really good tonight, and I was able to throw all the breaking pitches whenever I needed them”. “It all starts with Tilly doing a great job coming back”.
His insistence that he didn’t feel anything in the August 20 game against Houston belies the raw results he had on the mound in a game that saw him give up six runs on six hits with five walks without retiring a batter in the third inning.
The three-time Cy Young Award victor and 2014 NL MVP struck out five and did not walk a batter. He is tied with Baltimore’s Zach Britton for the AL lead in saves. A solo blast from Adam Jones and a two-run shot by Chris Davis handed the O’s an instant 3-0 advantage in the first, while Matt Wieters’ two-run bomb highlighted the Orioles three-run second inning to take a commanding 6-1 lead. Zimmermann won his first five starts of the season and was 8-2 with a 2.58 ERA on June 3, but he’s made only six starts since and given up at least five runs in all but one of them.
Cabrera went 0 for 4 and failed to hit the ball out of the infield.
The Indians won for the ninth time in their last 11 games, but a concern came up when starter Danny Salazar was removed after four innings because of tightness in his right forearm. Verlander got a no-decision in his last appearance, going seven innings with eight hits and two earned.
Bourn is 14 for 37 (.378) in his career off Verlander, but this was the first time he’d gone deep against the Detroit right-hander. Francisco Rodriguez secured his 40th save, and J.D. Martinez added a two-run single. Cameron Rupp hit a three-run homer off Koda Glover to knot the score in the eighth. Gausman struck out Victor Martinez for the second out but J.D. Martinez bounced a single up the middle, knocking in Jose Iglesias and Kinsler for a 3-0 lead.
Upton and Miguel Cabrera struck out three times each.
“In all the years I’ve been in this game, I have never seen a third-base coach get hit twice in the same night”, Showalter said. It felt playoff atmosphere, if I knew what it felt like, but it was fun.
Let’s just be friends: Tempers were heated early in the game, with Trumbo and Cabrera taking exception to each other.
“I was awful tonight, so this loss is on me”, he said.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Saturday that Fulmer will not pitch Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins.
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“I feel like I’ve been around long enough that I can be thrown into a situation like this”, he said.
