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We’re not going to lie—this week was rough. From Tuesday’s ninth-inning choke that felt like a punch in the gut to news of Matt Wieters getting a plasma injection in his elbow to our bats being completely silenced in Kansas City on Saturday, it hasn’t been easy being an Orioles fan lately.

But there was a silver lining that came in the form of starting pitcher’s first career shutout on Friday night.

Stud of the Week for May 12-18:
Chris Tillman

The line:
In his nine starts, Tillman has a record of 4-2, striking out 43 and earning him an ERA of 3.34 (20th best in the league).

Studliest moment:
On Friday night, Tillman completed his first career shutout, an efficient 117-pitch game that led the Orioles to a 4-0 victory over the Royals (our only of the series). The starter only allowed five hits and one walk and was strong through the eighth. Manager Buck Showalter thankfully sent him back out for the complete game.

The clincher:
Tillman showed grace under pressure from the very beginning when Royals outfielder Nori Aoki hit a leadoff double in the first inning. But he got out of it unscathed on just 12 pitches. “That was huge,” the pitcher told
MLB.com on Friday. “There were a lot of early swings and early outs. Any time you get that, it really helps. I hate walking guys. It’s one of my pet peeves because that cuts down your chances of getting deep in the ballgame. Tonight, I was able to attack the zone and stay ahead.”

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