Anaheim, CA – Chris Tillman tossed eight scoreless innings and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 5-1, in the opener of a four-game series.
Tillman (2-1) gave up just three hits while striking out three and walking two for the Orioles, who improved to 5-3 on an 11-game road trip.
"It's always fun to pitch in front of your family and friends," Tillman said. "I threw strikes early and I had fastball command."
Nate McLouth hit a two-run homer for Baltimore. Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Nick Markakis each knocked in a run.
Angels starter Joe Blanton (0-5) allowed three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits over eight innings. Albert Pujols hit a solo homer in the ninth.
Los Angels had a runner thrown out at the plate in the first. Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo walked to put men on first and second with two outs before the former was thrown out at home after Josh Hamilton singled to right.
"We just didn't get on his fastball and that was his primary weapon tonight," Trumbo said of Tillman.
The Orioles got on the board in the third following three straight one-out singles by Nolan Reimold, McLouth and Machado.
Baltimore tacked on another run in the sixth. Adam Jones hit a one-out single and raced home on Davis' double to right.
Markakis' RBI double in the seventh made it a 3-0 game. Reimold reached second on Halos third baseman Brendan Harris' throwing error, moved to third on McLouth's groundout and scored on Markakis' double to right.
McLouth hit a two-run homer off Ryan Brasier in the ninth to make it 5-0.
Tillman, who retired the final nine batters he faced, gave way to Jim Johnson in the bottom of the ninth. Pujols' homer accounted for the final margin.
Game Notes
The Angels went 7-2 against the Orioles in 2012 ... Blanton fell to 2-3 in eight career starts against Baltimore ... Los Angeles had just four hits.
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