DETROIT -- Orioles starter Chris Tillman was quality and quantity on Sunday afternoon.With the threat of a fifth consecutive loss looming, Tillman outdueled Tigers ace Justin Verlander to give Baltimore (2-4) its first quality start of the season, a 8 1/3-innings gem that paved the way for a 3-1 sweep-avoiding win.The victory was more of the vintage variety, the kind of O's win built on solid pitching, some stout defense and timely hitting that manager Buck Showalter has preached since taking the reins in August 2010. The Orioles' Opening Day starter, Tillman made one mistake on an otherwise dominant afternoon and was helped in his final inning by a pair of stellar catches from David Lough and a diving Nick Markakis. 
It was Markakis who got things going the inning prior, tripling into the right-field corner with one out to put the go-ahead run 90 feet away. Adam Jones, who scored the team's first run, delivered with an at-bat that ended -- after four foul balls -- with a deep sacrifice fly that left fielder Tyler Collins caught on the run.That was all Tillman needed as the 25-year-old righty showed no signs of slowing down, blowing a 94-mph fastball by Torii Hunter to end the eighth. It was Hunter who gave Tillman his lone blemish, a 2-0 pitch deposited over the left-field fence for his third consecutive home run game against the O's. Hunter's one-out blast put the Tigers up, 1-0, and marked the 53rd solo homer out of 76 career jacks Tillman has allowed.The Orioles evened the score thanks to Nelson Cruz's two-out sixth-inning double. Jones sent a ball to deep center field for a one-out two-bagger, and Cruz took Verlander's 2-1 pitch and found a hole in right-center to drive him in. Matt Wieters followed with a fading liner, but Austin Jackson snagged it on the run to keep the game tied.Wieters gave the O's some breathing room in his next at-bat, sending reliever Al Alburquerque's first pitch over the left-field fence for his first homer of the season, a one-out ninth-inning shot. Verlander went eight innings, scattering two walks and five hits over 112 pitches.Tillman hung with him, cruising through three perfect innings to start the game and holding a lethal Tigers lineup to five hits with five strikeouts. At an economical 80 pitches to start the seventh, Tillman pitched around a two-out single to Nick Castellanos to mark the third consecutive inning he stranded a baserunner.Tillman took the mound for the ninth at 101 pitches and got Miguel Cabrera to ground out, exiting in favor of closer Tommy Hunter after Victor Martinez doubled down the right-field line. Hunter struck out Jackson and got Collins to ground out for his second save.Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com
It was Markakis who got things going the inning prior, tripling into the right-field corner with one out to put the go-ahead run 90 feet away. Adam Jones, who scored the team's first run, delivered with an at-bat that ended -- after four foul balls -- with a deep sacrifice fly that left fielder Tyler Collins caught on the run.That was all Tillman needed as the 25-year-old righty showed no signs of slowing down, blowing a 94-mph fastball by Torii Hunter to end the eighth. It was Hunter who gave Tillman his lone blemish, a 2-0 pitch deposited over the left-field fence for his third consecutive home run game against the O's. Hunter's one-out blast put the Tigers up, 1-0, and marked the 53rd solo homer out of 76 career jacks Tillman has allowed.The Orioles evened the score thanks to Nelson Cruz's two-out sixth-inning double. Jones sent a ball to deep center field for a one-out two-bagger, and Cruz took Verlander's 2-1 pitch and found a hole in right-center to drive him in. Matt Wieters followed with a fading liner, but Austin Jackson snagged it on the run to keep the game tied.Wieters gave the O's some breathing room in his next at-bat, sending reliever Al Alburquerque's first pitch over the left-field fence for his first homer of the season, a one-out ninth-inning shot. Verlander went eight innings, scattering two walks and five hits over 112 pitches.Tillman hung with him, cruising through three perfect innings to start the game and holding a lethal Tigers lineup to five hits with five strikeouts. At an economical 80 pitches to start the seventh, Tillman pitched around a two-out single to Nick Castellanos to mark the third consecutive inning he stranded a baserunner.Tillman took the mound for the ninth at 101 pitches and got Miguel Cabrera to ground out, exiting in favor of closer Tommy Hunter after Victor Martinez doubled down the right-field line. Hunter struck out Jackson and got Collins to ground out for his second save.Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com
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