Brad Bergesen

After one strong outing at Triple-A Norfolk, Brad Bergesen will be back in the majors, reclaiming his spot in the rotation with a start today against the Boston Red Sox. "We feel like he went down there and did the things we asked him to do," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "He's right on schedule to come and he'll pitch [Saturday]." Bergesen was demoted to Norfolk on April 20 after going 0-2 with a 12.19 ERA in three starts. Because the club did not need a fifth starter until today, Bergesen was sent down — but there were no guarantees he'd be brought back up for the open start.

CLEVELAND - The Orioles may have found a defensive stopgap for second base Friday, and they officially cut ties with a pitcher once expected to be part of the franchise's future. It wasn't exactly a pre-trade deadline blockbuster, but the Orioles sent cash to the New York Mets on Friday for 30-year-old infielder Omar Quintanilla , who was designated for assignment earlier this week. The Orioles had an opening on their 40-man roster after designating right-hander Brad Bergesen on Wednesday.

Do the Orioles have to worry about Brad Bergesen, too? A night after another uneven outing from starter Jeremy Guthrie, Bergesen was rocked for six runs, including two tape-measure home runs by Miguel Cabrera, in the Orioles' 10-9 loss to the Detroit Tigers before an announced 8,037 on Tuesday at Ed Smith Stadium. Tigers catcher Alex Avila drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single in the top of the ninth off Ross Wolf. Orioles third baseman Miguel Tejada went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, and left fielder Felix Pie had three hits, including two doubles.

How it happened: The Orioles appeared to be in trouble when the Red Sox took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth. The offense came alive in the bottom of the fifth, however, exploding for six runs, the most the Orioles have scored in an inning this season. Ty Wigginton started the fireworks with a one-out solo homer. Rhyne Hughes singled and Nolan Reimold walked before Cesar Izturis hit into a fielder's choice, advancing Hughes to third. Adam Jones drove in Hughes with a lightly hit infield single, and Nick Markakis knocked in Izturis with a single to center field.

The Orioles had mixed results from their split-squad games Saturday, but the most encouraging aspect from the afternoon was the performances of two of their young starters. Chris Tillman, who is fighting for the fifth spot in the rotation, took a major step forward with his best performance of the spring, throwing five innings in a 6-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fort Myers, Fla. Brad Bergesen, who is expected to be the club's No. 4 starter, also looked solid in four of his five innings as the Orioles' primary lineup beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-2, at home in Sarasota.

CHICAGO - -After his game-ending strikeout of the Tampa Bay Rays' Evan Longoria with the tying run on third base Thursday, Orioles closer Jim Johnson punched his fist into his glove. It was a rare show of emotion from Johnson, who vowed to treat the closer role no different from his previous one as setup man. It also was further proof that it will be easier said than done. "I was pumped up, definitely," said Johnson, who earned his fifth save in the Orioles' 8-7 victory. "It was a big win. It wasn't just for me, it was the way the whole game played out. We were behind, we came back.

Orioles manager Dave Trembley said before Friday's 11-1 thrashing of the Washington Nationals that he had been patient long enough with third baseman Melvin Mora and that it was time to shuffle the batting order. For his part, Mora said his record proves he will drive in runs, so he doesn't care where he bats in the lineup. On Friday night, Trembley dropped Mora from his customary fifth spot to seventh, and the veteran responded by driving in more runs in one game than he had all month.

The wild final week of pre-waiver trading is over and the Orioles are clearly less-equipped to finish the 2009 season on an upswing than they were before closer George Sherrill headed off to Mannywood. That doesn't mean they won't be better off down the line, but it raises all sorts of questions about the timetable for Andy MacPhail's rebuilding plan and just what the club might look like when it reports to its new spring training home in Sarasota, Fla., in February. Like, for instance, are the Orioles really focused on being competitive in 2010 or will it be another transitional season?

Before he stepped onto the mound and threw his first formal bullpen session in seven months, Brad Bergesen 's arrival Saturday was trumpeted by Orioles catcher Chad Moeller . "Ladies and gentleman, Brad Bergesen," Moeller yelled to the smiles and laughs of teammates. On a day when heavy rains forced the Orioles to conduct their workout in the indoor batting cages and pitching mounds at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, all eyes were on Bergesen, who threw a successful and pain-free 28-pitch bullpen session that strengthened both his and the team's belief that he'll be ready to join the Opening Day rotation.