Chris Ray

The Orioles' newest player, reliever Danys Baez, hopes to get an opportunity to close some games in 2007. Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan discussed a scenario in which the club's current closer, Chris Ray, would need a day off after securing several victories in a row, and manager Sam Perlozzo could bring in Baez to continue a winning streak. But other than that, as long as Ray is healthy, Baez, who signed a three-year, $19 million deal yesterday, will be used as a setup man to get the game to Ray with the Orioles still in the lead.

The Orioles thought that they had the game won in the top of the ninth until closer Chris Ray gave up two long home runs and the bullpen coughed up a four-run lead. They thought that they had it won again in the bottom of the ninth but second baseman Alfredo Amezaga made a diving catch on Brian Roberts' liner, which would have scored Luis Matos from second. Then they watched Miguel Cabrera reach out in the top of the 10th and line Todd Williams" first pitch of an attempted intentional walk into center field for an RBI single.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- When Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo chose to have Javy Lopez and not Ramon Hernandez catch Rodrigo Lopez on Thursday, the move was made as an attempt to change the struggling fortunes of the Orioles' pitcher. Now that it worked so well - Lopez allowed two hits and no runs over 7 1/3 innings in beating the Seattle Mariners for his first victory since Opening Day - Perlozzo, at the very least, will consider going back to the same arrangement for Lopez's next start on Tuesday.

SEATTLE -- For one day, the outlook was bright again. Rodrigo Lopez was back to pitching like a No. 1 starter, Brian Roberts was in the lineup and scoring runs and an Orioles team that was admonished by its manager for a lack of effort a night earlier, was feeling pretty good about itself again. Perhaps, Lopez spoke for his entire team when he said, "I am smiling after a game. Finally." The Orioles' 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners yesterday before 23,806 at Safeco Field salvaged a four-game series split, and much more to Lopez, who combined with closer Chris Ray for the Orioles' first shutout since Sept.

Orioles reliever Todd Williams has watched enough games and read enough stories to know that he's being viewed in some circles as a potential life raft for a bullpen that has been taking on too much water lately. "I sure hope they're not thinking that," he said, grinning. LaTroy Hawkins referred to him playfully as a messiah yesterday, but Williams would be content with a lesser title. He wants to be part of the bullpen equation again, working the middle and late innings, protecting leads and keeping deficits from growing.

A one-run lead. A fearsome hitter coming to the plate. The ninth inning of the Orioles' Saturday game against the Los Angeles Angels certainly seemed like dangerous territory for a rookie closer. But Chris Ray struck out Vladimir Guerrero and rapidly dispatched two other batters to earn his fourth save overall and his first protecting a one-run lead. Manager Sam Perlozzo no longer seems surprised when his young reliever thrives under pressure. "I'm sure he's glad to get that out of the way," Perlozzo said of the tough save.

Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo isn't committed to running out the same lineup for every game, with a surplus of outfielders giving him enough options that the look can change almost nightly. Who figured that David Newhan would become a constant? After fighting to make the team as a utility player in spring training, Newhan has relinquished his seat on the bench and started five of the past six games. He started in left field again Friday night for the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels and hit his second homer of the season.

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- The Orioles have 23 relievers in camp, but only two of them, Todd Williams and John Parrish, were on last season's Opening Day roster, and neither of them has pitched this spring because of injuries. Their projected closer, Chris Ray, doesn't have a career major league save, and their top left-handed setup man, Tim Byrdak, has only 41 major league appearances since the 2000 season. Less than a month before another baseball season begins, the Orioles' bullpen stands as the team's biggest question mark.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Chris Ray's 1-0 fastball buzzed under the chin of Gary Sheffield, sending the New York Yankees slugger to the dirt. Sheffield, who already had two home runs and six RBIs on that night last September at Camden Yards, brushed himself off, glared at the Orioles' rookie reliever and dug back in, waggling his bat with his typical ferocity. "Gary Sheffield, if you knock him on his butt, is going to come up and get you," said Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo, remembering the at-bat with clarity yesterday.