Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter announced Tuesday that Chris Tillman will take the mound for next week's opener of the American League Division Series.
The AL East champion Orioles will begin the playoffs at home on Thursday, Oct. 2 against an opponent yet to be determined.
Tillman earned the nod by putting together an outstanding second half of the season. In 13 starts following the All-Star break, the right-hander has posted a 6-0 record with a 2.06 ERA and limited opponents to a .201 average.
In 33 overall starts this season, Tillman has gone 13-5 with a 3.26 ERA.
Showalter also told reporters that he will use a four-man rotation for the best-of-five ALDS, with the order to be decided depending on who the Orioles will face.
Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez are currently in line to pitch Games 2 and 3. Chen is slated to make his final regular-season start Sunday in Toronto, with Tillman to work Friday's game.
[SportsNetwork.com]
