Bullpen

The last time the Orioles met the Red Sox, they played baseball's version of the Boston Marathon - a 17-inning game at Fenway Park that completed Baltimore's first sweep of Boston since 1994. And the last time the Red Sox came to Camden Yards, they left with their season shattered, sending them prematurely into an offseason of upheaval. Its pretty clear that the Orioles have had the Red Sox's number of late, beating Boston in seven of their last eight entering Monday. But these Red Sox arrived at Camden Yards surging, winners of eight of their last 10 games as they try to work their way out of the early-season American League East cellar.

The last time the Orioles met the Red Sox, they played baseball's version of the Boston Marathon - a 17-inning game at Fenway Park that completed Baltimore's first sweep of Boston since 1994. And the last time the Red Sox came to Camden Yards, they left with their season shattered, sending them prematurely into an offseason of upheaval. Its pretty clear that the Orioles have had the Red Sox's number of late, beating Boston in seven of their last eight entering Monday. But these Red Sox arrived at Camden Yards surging, winners of eight of their last 10 games as they try to work their way out of the early-season American League East cellar.

NEW YORK -- The latest collapse by the Orioles' bullpen turned ugly last night.With closer Armando Benitez as the erratic centerpiece, the Orioles fumbled a 9-5 decision to the New York Yankees, lowlighted by a wild brawl that spilled dangerously into the visitors' dugout at Yankee Stadium.Protecting a 5-4 lead, Benitez allowed a game-winning three-run home run to Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams on his fourth pitch in the eighth inning. On his fifth pitch, Benitez hit first baseman Tino Martinez between the shoulder blades.

In their most recent hot stretch, the Orioles have milked the drama -- with their previous seven wins coming by a margin of three runs or fewer. For much of Saturday's 6-5 victory, the trend looked like it finally would end, with their most consistent starter, Jason Hammel, cruising, and Adam Jones and Nick Markakis each hitting two-run homers against the Washington Nationals to take a 6-0 lead into the fifth. But these surprising, exciting, befuddling Orioles apparently don't do things the easy way. There must be no fun in that after all these years of losing.

Orioles pitcher Jim Johnson, who shined in his late-season role as the team's closer, said he has a feeling he will open spring training in the bullpen. “I'm pretty sure about that,” Johnson said at Saturday's Orioles FanFest. “We'll figure that out in the team in the spring. The organization has considered the idea of making Johnson a starter, even as recently as this offseason. But with the Orioles' offseason starting pitching additions -- Wei-Yin Chen, Tsuyoshi Wada and Dana Eveland -- the bullpen appears to be his best fit. “I think Dan [Duquette]

It was a calculated risk. The Orioles have opened the season with what manager Buck Showalter willingly concedes is an "unconventional" bullpen, which could leave him and baseball operations chief Dan Duquette with some explaining to do if the starting pitchers aren't able to provide enough good innings to keep the relievers fresh. The Orioles do not have a true long reliever to pick up the slack if the starters again make a habit of stalling in the early and middle innings. That might change over the next few weeks - as circumstances dictate - but the team clearly is hoping that the rotation will go deep in enough games to make it a non-issue.

Seeking seats in the bullpen Barring injuries or trades, most of the Orioles' Opening Day roster is already set with the exception of two or three vacancies in the bullpen. Mike Gonzalez, Jim Johnson, Koji Uehara and Mark Hendrickson are locks, but there are still two or three spots available and a handful of competitors. Pitcher IP ER H BB K's Jeff Zrebiec's skinny Matt Albers, rhp 4 1/3 0 2 0 1 Throwing his sinker for strikes as he did in 2008.

Orioles right-hander Brad Bergesen , who lasted just 2 1/3 innings in his last start against the New York Yankees, has been sent to the bullpen and will have at least one start skipped. Whether the new assignment lasts beyond one turn has not been determined, but Orioles interim manager Juan Samuel said there are no immediate plans to call up another pitcher to take Bergesen's spot in the rotation. "We don't know how long he is going to be down there [in the bullpen]

BOSTON - The clock crept on midnight at Fenway Park - and most of the announced sellout crowd of 37,223 - was likely dozing off. But it was the Orioles bullpen that put the Red Sox bats to sleep Friday night, throwing eight shutout innings - running its scoreless-inning streak to 19 innings - propelling the Orioles to a 6-4 13-inning win over the Red Sox. It was the Orioles' fourth win in their last five games here at...

The Orioles arrived in Sarasota with plenty of intrigue, a starting lineup already pretty much set in stone and a rotation with perhaps just one opening. But Buck Showalter's bullpen is wide-open, which gives us an opportunity to do a little spring speculation. Baltimore has several relievers with closing experience -- most notably Kevin Gregg, Michael Gonzalez and Koji Uehara -- and one more could be added to the mix if Alfredo Simon is released from prison in the Dominican Republic.

In an early season of surprises, no one has been a more pleasant revelation or a bigger key to the Orioles' success than Jason Hammel. The big right-hander allowed two runs or fewer in his first seven starts. He didn't lose a game until April 30. Not bad for a guy that entered the season with a career 34-45 record and a 4.99 ERA. So there definitely was some concern when earlier this month Hammel's start was pushed back several days because he was having soreness in his right knee.

After last night's rainout, the Orioles will play a doubleheader today against the Rangers, with the first game beginning at 4:05 p.m. Tommy Hunter will start in tonight's Game 2, recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, meaning the Orioles will likely DL outfielder Endy Chavez (intercostal strain) between the games tonight. He would be eligible to return from the DL on May 24. Infielder Steve Tolleson is here, wearing No. 6. He was recalled yesterday -- left-hander Zach Phillips was sent down -- to help with depth.

Following the Orioles' 17-inning win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, Orioles manager Buck Showalter unfolded a piece of paper on his desk that showed the recent pitching schedule at Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles' 9-6 extra-inning win was costly. The entire bullpen is taxed, with four different relievers - Jim Johnson, Matt Lindstrom, Pedro Strop and Kevin Gregg - going multiple innings. In the 15 th inning, Showalter sent left-hander Brian Matusz, who will start today's home game against the Rangers, to the bullpen.

A day after lasting just 4 1/3 innings in Sunday's marathon in Boston, right-handed starter Tommy Hunter was sent to Triple-A Norfolk, a move needed to bolster a bullpen that had to pitch 12 2/3 innings in one day. "I didn't throw well and they had to make a call," said Hunter, who is 2-1 with a 5.00 ERA in six starts. "Unfortunately, it's me, but I'm not mad at anybody. How can I be mad at anybody? If I had thrown better, we wouldn't have had to go 17 innings. " Orioles manager Buck Showalter had to bring in reinforcements for the bullpen, and so Hunter and catcher Ronny Paulino were sent to Norfolk, and the Orioles recalled Jason Berken and purchased the contract of fellow right-hander Stu Pomeranz . "It was obviously the byproduct of yesterday," Showalter said.

Less than 14 hours after beating the Red Sox in 13 innings last night, the Orioles return to Fenway Park to face the Red Sox for an afternoon matinee. Jason Hammel, who has gone at least six innings in four of his five starts this season, will start for the Orioles. That should help an Orioles bullpen that threw eight shutout innings. Five different relievers threw on Friday, including three who threw multiple innings. “They were all pretty short last night,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of the bullpen.

BOSTON - The clock crept on midnight at Fenway Park - and most of the announced sellout crowd of 37,223 - was likely dozing off. But it was the Orioles bullpen that put the Red Sox bats to sleep Friday night, throwing eight shutout innings - running its scoreless-inning streak to 19 innings - propelling the Orioles to a 6-4 13-inning win over the Red Sox. It was the Orioles' fourth win in their last five games here at...

The question didn't even have time to slide safely into Buck Showalter's consciousness when the Orioles manager politely interrupted and motioned with his hands to indicate that the topic was premature. "So far, so good," Showalter said when asked about the Orioles' revamped bullpen. "It would be nice to break camp with all the pieces. That would be something that we didn't have last year. " The early returns on the Orioles' offseason bullpen makeover have been positive. Kevin Gregg, signed to a two-year, $10 million deal in January, has thrown four scoreless innings.

One reason the Rangers are looking to move Michael Young for starting pitching is Neftali Feliz apparently is headed back to the closer's role. Mark Lowe, who had been billed as a possible stopper, didn't help his cause Thursday when he walked the leadoff man with a two-run lead in the ninth. Feliz would welcome a return to the role he filled well enough to win Rookie of the Year. … Jon Garland's injury is a blow for the Dodgers, whose key is the depth of their five-man rotation.

Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel says he's a much different pitcher from the one who last faced the New York Yankees in 2008. Through four starts this season, Hammel - acquired in the February trade that sent No. 1 starter Jeremy Guthrie to the Colorado Rockies - has been a surprising success story. He takes a 3-0 record and 1.73 ERA into the Bronx for Monday's series opener, looking to give the Orioles his fourth quality start of the season. Hammel, who entered the season with a career 4.99 ERA, said he has grown mentally since he was demoted to the Rockies' bullpen at the end of last season.

It wasn't that long ago when we looked at the Orioles bullpen and didn't know what to make of it. Yes, there were plenty of quality arms - and several that entered the season with some track record of late-inning success - but the lack of defined roles prompted considerable caution. But over the past three nights, the Orioles' pen might have had its finest moments of this young season. Without closer Jim Johnson, who spent the past three nights hospitalized with flu-like symptoms and a bacterial infection, the other relievers sparkled in his absence.