Chris Tillman
Encyclopedia
Christopher Steven Tillman (born April 15, 1988 in Anaheim, California
) is a Major League Baseball
right-handed starting pitcher
for the Baltimore Orioles
. According to Baseball America
, he was Baltimore's second best prospect, behind only Matt Wieters
.
Tillman was drafted by the Seattle Mariners
in the second round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
. On February 9, 2008, Tillman, along with Adam Jones
, George Sherrill
, Kam Mickolio
, and Tony Butler, was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
for Érik Bédard
.
On July 29, 2009, Tillman made his major league debut against the Kansas City Royals
. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on three solo home runs. The Orioles ended up winning 7-3, leaving Tillman with a no decision.
On April 28, 2010, Tillman threw a no-hitter
at the Gwinnett Braves
as the Norfolk Tides
won the game 6-0. This no-hitter was the first for the Tides since 1992.
On April 2, 2011, Tillman carried a no-hitter through six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Orioles second game of the season. He was lifted by manager Buck Showalter after the sixth inning, however, as Tillman's pitch count was already up to 101 pitches. The team no-hitter was lost the following inning by Jeremy Accardo but the Orioles did go on to win 3-1. The Orioles did not score their runs until the 8th inning, giving Tillman a no-decision.
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
) is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. According to Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
, he was Baltimore's second best prospect, behind only Matt Wieters
Matt Wieters
Matthew Richard Wieters is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles. Wieters was drafted 5th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. Wieters played college baseball for Georgia Tech, and his agent is Scott Boras. Wieters is a tall athletic hitter, standing 6 feet...
.
Baseball career
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in the second round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
2006 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.-First Round Selections:...
. On February 9, 2008, Tillman, along with Adam Jones
Adam Jones (baseball)
Adam La Marque Jones is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles. Jones was born and raised in San Diego, California where he starred at Samuel F. B. Morse High School. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 draft by the Seattle Mariners...
, George Sherrill
George Sherrill
George Friederich Sherrill , also known as "The Brim Reaper", "Flat Breezy", and "Duckbill" , is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a free agent-College and independent baseball:Sherrill was not drafted after graduating from Austin Peay State...
, Kam Mickolio
Kam Mickolio
Kameron Kraig 'Kam' Mickolio is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball.-Amateur career:...
, and Tony Butler, was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for Érik Bédard
Erik Bedard
Érik Joseph Bédard is a free agent Canadian professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball.Bédard previously pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners. With Baltimore, he was the staff ace, setting the franchise single-season strikeouts per nine innings record at 10.93 in...
.
On July 29, 2009, Tillman made his major league debut against the Kansas City Royals
2009 Kansas City Royals season
The Kansas City Royals' 2009 season began on April 7 with a game against the Chicago White Sox at U. S. Cellular Field, which Chicago won. On April 10, the Royals hosted the New York Yankees in the first game at the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium for the Royals' home opener. Interleague opponents...
. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on three solo home runs. The Orioles ended up winning 7-3, leaving Tillman with a no decision.
On April 28, 2010, Tillman threw a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
at the Gwinnett Braves
Gwinnett Braves
The Gwinnett Braves are a minor league baseball team in the International League, the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Atlanta Braves. The team was previously the Richmond Braves for 43 seasons . On January 14, 2008, it was announced that the Richmond Braves would move from Richmond,...
as the Norfolk Tides
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
won the game 6-0. This no-hitter was the first for the Tides since 1992.
On April 2, 2011, Tillman carried a no-hitter through six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Orioles second game of the season. He was lifted by manager Buck Showalter after the sixth inning, however, as Tillman's pitch count was already up to 101 pitches. The team no-hitter was lost the following inning by Jeremy Accardo but the Orioles did go on to win 3-1. The Orioles did not score their runs until the 8th inning, giving Tillman a no-decision.