O's game blog: Chris Tillman faces Boston in series finale

After wins by scores of 5-2, 5-2 and 5-1, the first-place Boston Red Sox can complete a four-game sweep of the Orioles tonight. They have not swept a four-game series at Camden Yards since Sept. 20-23, 2002.

Boston has won seven in a row to get to 88-64 and is a season-high 24 games over .500. The Red Sox have a season-best five-game lead in the American League East over the Blue Jays with the Orioles six games back. Boston's magic number to clinch the division is six. They are a major league-best 14-5 in September.

The Orioles are just 2-5 on this 11-game homestand to fall to 31-34 since the All-Star break and to 82-70 for the season. They are 36-33 versus the AL East.

According to STATS, LLC., second baseman Jonathan Schoop owns the second-longest active games started streak in the majors with 152 starts. He trails the Royals' Alcides Escobar, who has 161 starts. Prior to Aug. 20, Schoop was the last player in the majors to play every inning and each out of his team's games this season.

Since the beginning of the 2012 season, four current Orioles rank among major league leaders in home runs. Chris Davis (197) leads the majors, while Adam Jones (149) is tied for eighth, Mark Trumbo (145) is tied for 10th and Pedro Álvarez is tied for 18th with 132.

The Orioles' Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.72 ERA) makes his 29th start of the year tonight, facing Red Sox lefty David Price (16-8, 3.91 ERA).

Tillman is 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts since returning from the disabled list. In 15 home starts, he is 8-3 with a 4.37 ERA.

Tillman was the winning pitcher in his lone start this season against Boston. On June 14 at Fenway Park, he gave up five hits and one run over seven innings. In 19 career starts, he is 10-3 with a 2.74 ERA.

Tillman is 7-1 with a 3.34 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 12 outings (with six quality starts) against the AL East this season. The Orioles have gone 11-1 in those 12 starts. They went 11-0 in his first 11 starts against AL East opponents from April 8-July 31. According to STATS, LLC., no pitcher since 1969 has had his team go 10-0 or better in his starts against an American League division in a single season.

Tillman reached 1,000 career innings during his Aug. 11 start at Oakland, becoming the 14th Orioles pitcher to accomplish the feat. He ranks 13th on the O's all-time wins list with 72 career victories, trailing Sidney Ponson (73).

Price is 7-0 with an ERA of 2.73 and a .204 batting average against over his last eight starts. The Red Sox are 19-13 in his 32 starts and 2-2 against the Orioles. In those four games, Price is 2-1 with a 3.67 ERA. In 23 career starts against Baltimore, he is 10-5 with a 2.83 ERA. In nine career starts at Camden Yards, he is 5-0 with a 3.05 ERA.