Orioles send Tillman to mound against Tribe

Chris Tillman goes after a 16th win on Tuesday when the Baltimore Orioles continue a three-game set with the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.

Tillman won for the first time in five starts on Thursday in Boston, as he held the Red Sox to a pair of runs and six hits in seven innings to run his record to 15-4, while lowering his ERA to 3.61.

"He's always had it. Now all the things he's gone through in the process of pitching are starting to click for him. When he's carrying multiple pitches he can get over the plate, it's a tough presentation for the opposition," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter.

"It all starts with his approach. This guy is scary. Here's mine, let's see what you can do. He's going to come at you. He trusts himself."

He's the first Orioles starter to reach 15 wins since Erik Bedard back in 2006.

"It's big for the team. For me, it is what it is, but I think it's big for the team," said Tillman, who is 2-1 in four starts versus the Tribe with a 4.79 ERA.

Cleveland will counter with right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who has lost four of his last five starts. Jimenez lost in Atlanta on Thursday, as he surrendered three runs and seven hits in seven innings to fall to 9-9 on the year to go along with a 3.95 ERA.

Jimenez beat the Orioles the only other time he faced them.

Baltimore started this series off in winning fashion on Monday, as Bud Norris tossed seven solid innings and Matt Wieters and Nate McLouth propelled the offense in a 7-2 triumph.

Norris (10-10) yielded just four hits while striking out eight, taking a shutout into the seventh inning that was spoiled by Jason Kipnis' solo home run. Wieters had four hits, including a two-run homer in the ninth that capped the win.

"I just had a great plan with Wieters," Norris said of his batterymate. "A lot of credit goes to him."

McLouth had a homer and three RBI among his two hits, and was robbed of a third after Nick Markakis missed second base on a would-be run-scoring double in the top of the second.

Brian Roberts added a two-run double to the victory, which moved the Orioles within two games of Tampa Bay for the AL's second wild card spot.

Cleveland received solo blasts from Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall, but got only an inning-plus from Justin Masterson (14-10) before the Indians' ace was removed with soreness in his left side.

The loss, Cleveland's sixth in seven outings, dropped the Tribe 3 1/2 games off the pace of the second wild card.

Baltimore has won three of its five games with the Indians this season.