George Sherrill

NEW YORK - - George Sherrill wants to be part of the nucleus that leads the Orioles back into contention, not a trade chip that brings a couple of more pieces to accelerate that process. But Sherrill, whose name has factored prominently in trade rumors both before and after the Orioles acquired him from the Seattle Mariners in February 2008 in the Erik Bedard deal, knows he has no say in the matter. "For sure, I want to be here," said Sherrill, who entered Monday's series opener against the New York Yankees with 20 saves and a 2.35 ERA. "The Mariners are starting to have a little bit of success.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts will spend the All-Star break in Baltimore, trying to rid himself of an upper respiratory infection that has dogged him for the entire month. Pitching coach Rick Kranitz will return to his Arizona home to relax and smoke some cigars, while manager Dave Trembley will head back to Daytona Beach, Fla., where his wife, Patti, has assembled an extensive to-do list. If their minds wander to baseball, their final memory of an up-and-down first half will be another quality outing from rookie starter Brad Bergesen, who held the Toronto Blue Jays to two runs in 6 2/3 innings in the Orioles' 4-2 victory in front of an announced 21,621 on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - -It seems like whenever Jeremy Guthrie pitches these days, he walks a fine line, one pitch here or there deciding his outing. On Thursday, it was actually two pitches that he made to Bobby Abreu, a batter Guthrie normally handles, that cost the Orioles the game. Abreu, who entered the game with just two hits in 15 career at-bats against Guthrie and four homers all season, hit a solo shot in the fourth inning and a three-run blast in the fifth as the Los Angeles Angels took the series opener, 5-2, in front of an announced 39,180 at Angel Stadium.

Major League Baseball's All-Star rosters will be announced Sunday, and the Orioles are still uncertain about who will represent them. "I'd hate to be the person that has to pick," Orioles infielder Ty Wigginton said. Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon, the American League squad's manager, likely will choose between Orioles center fielder Adam Jones (.305 average, 12 homers) and closer George Sherrill (1.99 ERA, 17 saves), who was the club's lone All-Star in 2008. Setup man Jim Johnson (3-3, 2.39 ERA)

PHILADELPHIA - -Over three days at Citizens Bank Park, Orioles manager Dave Trembley listened to loud cheers and resounding boos directed at the Philadelphia Phillies, who just eight months ago captured a World Series championship. When pinch hitter John Mayberry's bid to tie the game off George Sherrill died in front of the left-field warning track to secure the Orioles' 2-1 victory Sunday, Trembley heard something else from an announced 45,256 - stunned silence. "It was real quiet here after the final out," Trembley said, a wide smile stretching across his face.

SEATTLE - - The Orioles, of all teams, know how dominant Erik Bedard can be, so it would have been easy to dismiss Tuesday as one of those inevitable nights where they were shut down by a very good pitcher. The problem with that theory is it has been happening far too frequently to give the Orioles the complete benefit of the doubt. Bedard overwhelmed his former team, taking a three-hit shutout into the seventh inning in the Seattle Mariners' 8-2 victory over the Orioles in front of an announced 17,978 at Safeco Field.

It was a late-April game in a long season for a club that has already lost more than it has won, but Sunday afternoon's 8-5 victory over the Texas Rangers apparently meant something to the Orioles. Something more than just an elusive Sunday win. "I think there was a little bit of an urgency there," said second baseman Brian Roberts, who had four of the Orioles' 14 hits. "It wasn't going to be the end of the world [if Texas won], but we need to get something positive going, for sure." After starting the season 6-2, the Orioles (9-10)

SHUT DOWN The Orioles managed just three hits and five base runners in six scoreless innings Tuesday against Washington Nationals starter Shairon Martis. The right-hander, who pitched a no-hitter for the Netherlands in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, allowed two opposite-field singles to Nick Markakis and an infield single to Adam Jones. He also walked Ty Wigginton and hit Ryan Freel. Martis loaded the bases with one out in the fourth but got Orioles designated hitter Matt Wieters to fly out. RAY SHARP AGAIN Reliever Chris Ray continued his strong spring training, pitching a scoreless ninth.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -Saying that Baltimore was the only place he wanted to be, second baseman Brian Roberts yesterday signed his four-year, $40 million contract that could allow him to fulfill his goal of being an Oriole for his entire career. "It's a day I'll never forget, that's for sure," Roberts, 31, said at a news conference at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. "I hope the fans realize that I won't take this contract for granted. I'm going to use it for the good of this organization and for the good of the community in Baltimore.

Attempting to cobble together a starting rotation for the last month of the season, Orioles manager Dave Trembley said yesterday that he's looking at several options, including a six-man rotation. "To be honest with you, we're getting into a situation now where we're taking it series by series," Trembley said. He said he's not sure whether last night's starter, Brian Burres, just recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, will continue to start for the remainder of the season. He also wasn't sure about the extended role of left-hander Chris Waters, who is 2-1 with a 4.71 ERA since being recalled earlier this month.