Forget the movie Moneyball. A great vehicle for Brad Pitt maybe, but a film that conveniently ignored a key baseball tenet: Great starting pitching wins championships. And the Oakland A’s of the Moneyball-era had three dominating starters—Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito. As any O’s fan knows, our own starting pitching has been inconsistent at best, so it’s been been a welcome sight to see last year’s breakout star return to form recently.
Stud of the Week for June 22-30:
Chris Tillman
The Line:
The 26-year-old went 1-0 last week, allowing just four hits and a walk in eight innings against Tampa Bay on Friday night.
Studliest Moment:
After allowing a leadoff home run in the top of the second, Tillman set the next seven Rays down in order to re-establish control of the game. After having dropped the first game of the doubleheader, the O’s needed Tillman to respond with a great outing to salvage a split and the right-hander delivered.
The Clincher:
After a long rocky stretch, Tillman appears to have regained some velocity and command on his fastball and suddenly he again looks like the pitcher that won 16 games last season. Over the last month, he’s gone 3-2, averaging more than seven innings a start while posting a 2.78 era.