Major League Baseball

Tillman allows leadoff single, no more hits, O's top Tigers

Published Jul. 18, 2015 10:21 p.m. ET

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DETROIT (AP) As far as Chris Tillman is concerned, this masterful performance was merely a good beginning.

''That's one,'' the Baltimore right-hander said. ''We've got a lot more to go, and I think I've got to do it consistently to get back to where I was last year and the year before.''

Tillman gave up a leadoff single and not much else as the Orioles pitched a combined one-hitter, beating the Detroit Tigers 3-0 on Saturday night.

Ian Kinsler cleanly singled to right-center field to open the bottom of the first. Victor Martinez walked later that inning, but Detroit didn't manage a single baserunner after that.

Tillman (7-7) retired the last 23 hitters he faced and struck out eight overall. Zach Britton pitched a perfect ninth for his 24th save in 25 chances.

Manny Machado homered off David Price (9-3). The Detroit lefty struck out 12 in seven innings.

''For the most part, I'm focused on the lineup, and not so much the other pitcher,'' Tillman said. ''But watching Price pitch is fun. He's one of the best in the game. Any time you get a chance to beat a guy like that, it's good.''

The Orioles pulled within four games of the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East, while Detroit fell 9 1/2 behind Kansas City in the Central. The Orioles and Tigers are both 45-45 and are 3 1/2 games behind the second wild card.

Detroit's bid for a fifth straight division title is in serious trouble. The Tigers won their first game after the All-Star break Friday night and had a chance to build on that with their ace on the mound a day later. Price did his part, but Detroit's offense - which has actually been pretty productive despite Miguel Cabrera's calf injury - went quiet.

The biggest highlight for Tigers fans might have been a nice catch by a Comerica Park spectator, who reached over a railing in a front corner of the upper deck to snag a foul ball in his glove in the third.

That same inning, Machado went deep for his 20th homer of the season.

Price allowed six hits and a walk in his 200th career start.

Tillman won 13 games last year and 16 in 2013, logging over 200 innings each season. Even after Saturday's win, he has a 4.96 ERA, but he's allowed only four runs over his last four starts.

The Tigers had men on first and third with one out in the first, but the right-hander got J.D. Martinez to pop out and worked out of the jam.

''He hit his spots and he never made any mistakes over the middle of the plate,'' J.D. Martinez said. ''Every inning, he was hitting corners - in and out, up and down. He changes speed on everything and his fastball has enough life on it that you have to respect it.''

COMING THROUGH

The Orioles went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position on the night and are now 3 for 57 over their last eight games, but Caleb Joseph singled home two runs in the ninth. Center fielder Anthony Gose got a late break on his two-out liner and was unable to make a diving catch.

PITCH COUNTS

Price struck out 10 in the first four innings, but that came with a cost - a pitch count that was climbing pretty high in the middle innings. He finished with 113.

Tillman was lifted after 106.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: 2B Jonathan Schoop, who missed most of the first half with a knee injury, looked good while making a leaping catch on James McCann's line drive in the eighth.

Tigers: LHP Kyle Lobstein (left shoulder) threw off flat ground Friday and reported no pain.

UP NEXT

The Tigers send Justin Verlander (0-2) to the mound Sunday against Miguel Gonzalez (7-6) of the Orioles.