Burres

An optimist would look at Orioles left-hander Brian Burres yesterday as a starter who held the Detroit Tigers to one run through five innings. Ignored would be the 108 pitches he threw and the inevitable call to the bullpen that came in the sixth. Marcus Thames homered with one out to break a 1-1 tie, and a one-out double by Brandon Inge and run-scoring bloop single by Ryan Raburn ended Burres' day. Magglio Ordonez also homered off Burres, who retired 14 of 18 batters before Thames wrapped a ball around the left-field foul pole.

On January 7, 2010, CASCELIA. Visitation 2140 N. Fulton Avenue Thursday 5 to 8 P.M. Family will receive friends Friday 10 A.M., at the chapel. Funeral to follow at 10:30 A.M.

The blueprint on how to beat the New York Yankees has been missing from the Orioles? vault for so long. No matter what they tried, no matter how hard they battled, the result was usually frustration. But on two consecutive nights here, the Orioles appeared to have discovered something. Get a gritty outing from a rookie starter, get several big outs from the resurgent bullpen, get enough lutch hits froman offense that is finding ways to beat teams on a nightly basis, and suddenly the Yankees don?

NEW YORK - Robinson Cano's liner had barely landed in the center-field grass when Jamie Walker took a couple of steps off the mound and spiked his glove to the ground with all his might. "I've never done that," Walker said. "I apologize for that. I wanted to get his [butt] out. Obviously, I try not to ever show any emotions. I wouldn't have showed any if I got him out. That's my bad throwing the glove, and I'll have to deal with my kids on that one." Walker's frustration was understandable.

The opportunities keep coming this season for Orioles pitchers. Radhames Liz is trying to make good on another chance. Garrett Olson made 21 starts, and few of them were quality. Chris Waters was plucked out of near anonymity and Dennis Sarfate out of the bullpen. The Orioles aren't asking for much, and they're getting far less than that. Brian Burres became the latest Oriole to be granted another shot last night and do little with it. Five pitches into Burres' outing, the Orioles were already facing a two-run deficit, and things never really got much better in a listless 8-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox before an announced 15,398 at Camden Yards.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Once uncertain whether the Orioles viewed him as a starter or long reliever, left-hander Brian Burres has learned that he will work the back end of the rotation. Not that he has left the bullpen behind for good. Burres will be available to pitch in relief during the first two games because Tuesday's open date on the schedule precludes him from starting until April 6. He'll temporarily join Matt Albers, the pitcher he beat out for the fifth spot, as another long man. But unlike Albers, he's assured of facing the Seattle Mariners next weekend.

SEATTLE -- After the Orioles' 4-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on Monday night, starter Brian Burres said he had one regret - a two-out walk he issued to Richie Sexson that opened the door for the Mariners' decisive two-run sixth inning. Could it also have closed the book on Burres' time in the Orioles rotation? That answer likely won't be known for several days, but the young left-hander's hold on the No. 5 spot, which he moved into after injuries to Adam Loewen and Jaret Wright, is growing more tenuous.

Each time a pitcher steps on the mound, whether it's to start a game or work in relief, Orioles manager Dave Trembley does a two-part evaluation. Much of it keeps him in the present, the rest shifting his thoughts to next season. Trembley already has been told he will return in 2008. He's trying to figure out who will accompany him. Brian Burres wants to be there in whatever role he's offered, and Trembley seems inclined to bring him along. But the left-hander knows that he'll fade from those plans if he repeats last night's outing, when he was charged with seven runs and couldn't get past the fourth inning in a 11-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays before an announced 15,867 at Camden Yards.

SEATTLE - The Orioles optioned struggling pitcher Brian Burres to Triple-A Norfolk yesterday, leaving Jeremy Guthrie and Daniel Cabrera as the only members of the Opening Day rotation still on the team. Shortstop Alex Cintron was activated from the 15-day disabled list to take Burres' spot on the roster. "I hate to see the guy keep failing," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "It's a whole different ballgame in the big leagues, especially in our division. He just needs to go get some success because it wasn't coming [here]

The Orioles claimed lefthanded pitcher Brian Burres off waivers today from the San Francisco Giants. Burres, 24, went 9-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 26 games for Double-A Norwich in 2005. He went 5-2 with a 2.11 ERA in 11 games in May and June. Burres was selected by the Giants in the 31st round of the 2000 First Year Player Draft. He was named to the California League All-Star team in 2004, going 12-1 and leading the league with a 2.84 ERA. Burres has spent 5 seasons in the minor leagues and compiled a 32-21 record with a 3.84 ERA. January 6, 2006, 5:21 PM EST

The opportunities keep coming this season for Orioles pitchers. Radhames Liz is trying to make good on another chance. Garrett Olson made 21 starts, and few of them were quality. Chris Waters was plucked out of near anonymity and Dennis Sarfate out of the bullpen. The Orioles aren't asking for much, and they're getting far less than that. Brian Burres became the latest Oriole to be granted another shot last night and do little with it. Five pitches into Burres' outing, the Orioles were already facing a two-run deficit, and things never really got much better in a listless 8-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox before an announced 15,398 at Camden Yards.

SEATTLE - The Orioles optioned struggling pitcher Brian Burres to Triple-A Norfolk yesterday, leaving Jeremy Guthrie and Daniel Cabrera as the only members of the Opening Day rotation still on the team. Shortstop Alex Cintron was activated from the 15-day disabled list to take Burres' spot on the roster. "I hate to see the guy keep failing," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "It's a whole different ballgame in the big leagues, especially in our division. He just needs to go get some success because it wasn't coming [here]

NEW YORK - Orioles manager Dave Trembley continued his juggling of his struggling starting rotation yesterday, demoting Brian Burres to the bullpen and inserting reliever Dennis Sarfate in his place. Sarfate, 27, has made 45 appearances this season, all in relief. The right-hander was primarily a starter coming up through the minor leagues until last season, when he made all but one of his 45 appearances for Nashville, the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, out of the bullpen. When he takes the mound tomorrow at Yankee Stadium, not far from where he grew up in Brooklyn, Sarfate will be making his first major league start.

Orioles left-hander Brian Burres stood at his locker, fielded several questions and offered one consistent answer. He can't pitch as he did in the Orioles' 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels last night at Camden Yards and expect his team to win. "You can't just throw up a five-run deficit or something like that up there. You just can't do that to your team," Burres said. "I need to do a better job." In fact, he can't pitch as he did last night and expect to keep his spot in the starting rotation.

An optimist would look at Orioles left-hander Brian Burres yesterday as a starter who held the Detroit Tigers to one run through five innings. Ignored would be the 108 pitches he threw and the inevitable call to the bullpen that came in the sixth. Marcus Thames homered with one out to break a 1-1 tie, and a one-out double by Brandon Inge and run-scoring bloop single by Ryan Raburn ended Burres' day. Magglio Ordonez also homered off Burres, who retired 14 of 18 batters before Thames wrapped a ball around the left-field foul pole.

A recap of the Orioles' 7-3 win over the Red Sox last night: No no-no Making his second major league start on Sept. 1, Boston Red Sox rookie Clay Buchholz threw a no-hitter against the Orioles. He returned from Triple-A Pawtucket last night to face them again but didn't come close to duplicating his historic feat. Leadoff hitter Brian Roberts lined a double down the left-field line, stole third base and scored on Adam Jones' sacrifice fly. Buchholz also walked three batters in the inning and surrendered a run-scoring single to Melvin Mora.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Just a day after deciding to go with a 13-man pitching staff, the Orioles were forced to shift their plans after learning that starting catcher Ramon Hernandez could miss the season-opening three-game series against the Minnesota Twins with a strained left oblique muscle. Hernandez hurt his side in spring training and aggravated the injury swinging in Friday's exhibition game against the Washington Nationals in Norfolk, Va. He's available in emergency situations, but the Orioles are hoping to not have to use him against Minnesota.

BOSTON -- Of all the thoughts that were running through Brian Burres' head as he was in the midst of the toughest five innings of his baseball life, it was words delivered by shortstop Miguel Tejada that resonated most. Burres had to get one more Boston Red Sox hitter out to walk off the mound in position for his first major league victory. He knew Wily Mo Pena was his last hitter, and he had already tossed three straight balls when Tejada ambled toward the mound to talk to the pitcher.

WASHINGTON -- Interleague play is officially over for 2008, and this time the Orioles might actually miss it. Heading into this season, the Orioles had the worst interleague record in the American League at 79-114. Of all major league teams, only the Pittsburgh Pirates were worse. Despite yesterday's loss to the Washington Nationals, it has been a strong interleague ride for the Orioles in 2008. They won four of their six series this year - losing only to the Milwaukee Brewers and the Nationals - and their 11-7 mark ties their club record set in 1999.

WASHINGTON -- Orioles reliever Matt Albers said he'll seek a second opinion within the next few days before deciding whether to undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Albers, who rejoined the club yesterday after flying to Baltimore for a magnetic resonance imaging test, has already consulted with team orthopedist John Wilckens and head athletic trainer Richie Bancells. He has been presented with two options: surgery that would cost him an estimated eight to 10 months, or a rehab program that could return him to the active roster by late August.