Orioles Bullpen

BOSTON - Over the past two nights, the Orioles recaptured those late-inning heroics of last season at Fenway Park. One night after a five-run ninth-inning rally led them to victory, the Orioles came from behind against the Red Sox again Thursday, winning 3-2 in a game that played out much like so many of last year's close wins. This victory sealed the Orioles' fifth straight series win at Fenway Park, a streak that dates back to July 7-10, 2011. “It means a lot,” said Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, who drove in two runs, including the game-winner in the seventh.

Since the start, these Orioles have been wildly unpredictable -- and I mean that in a good way -- which is why they will go down as one of the most lovable teams in Baltimore sports lore. But there have been a few constants for a team that probably had to play name games once a week to stay familiar with an endless parade of new faces. There was Buck Showalter, the manager who has mostly made all the right moves. There was Adam Jones, who brings toughness and swagger every night.

Maybe it's a little early to start passing around the credit for the Orioles' surprising, uplifting and just plain fun first half of the 2012 season, but this could be a clear case of better early than never. The O's have exceeded expectations, and it's easy to point a couple of fingers in a couple of obvious directions. Buck Showalter clearly has changed the culture both on the field and in the clubhouse, so you can put a big gold star on his photo in the Orioles yearbook. New baseball operations guru Dan Duquette has made a couple of dynamic moves to upgrade the starting rotation, so his impact is easily measurable, even if he tried to acquire just about everybody with a pulse during the offseason.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The failure of the Orioles' bullpen in the first two games, that's fathomable. But getting beat because of Cal Ripken's defense -- or lack thereof -- that's something wholly unexpected.A paltry performance by the Orioles' relievers and a couple of errors by Ripken helped the Minnesota Twins beat the Orioles last night, 7-4. The Metrodome crowd of 26,425 was the smallest ever for a home opener at the Metrodome.New manager Phil Regan removed starter Ben McDonald after five innings with the Orioles ahead 4-3. But an exhausted and lame-armed McDonald might've been more effective than the bullpen, as it turned out.The first reliever in the line of fire was Brad Pennington, who lasted one-third of an inning and surrendered the tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth.

Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with some reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine. Running it back: Maryland didn't receive an NIT bid , meaning the Terps won't appear in a postseason game for the first time since 1993. ... The Tigers rocked Brian Matusz and the Orioles' bullpen Sunday, pounding out 17 hits en route to a 9-1 victory . ... Hip soreness casts Orioles pitcher Justin Duchscherer's regular-season readiness into further doubt . ... The NFL lockout could send economic and emotional ripples throughout the area , from Ravens players to fans to business owners.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Want the best evidence yet that the Orioles need to keep Randy Myers? Just ask manager Davey Johnson and pitching coach Ray Miller how they would reshape their bullpen if Myers left as a free agent.Miller said last night that Arthur Rhodes is probably more capable than Armando Benitez of replacing Myers in the late innings next season. But Johnson said he was unsure how Rhodes' arm would respond to a change in roles.So, Benitez might not be ready, and Rhodes might not be ready.

SEATTLE - Before Tuesday night's game against the Seattle Mariners, the Orioles demoted their previous night's starter, Zach Britton, and called up another arm for their bullpen. Cycling in fresh relievers has become a necessity for a club that continues to rely on a superb relief corps to keep them going. In a 7-2 win over the Mariners on Tuesday night, the Orioles posted four runs in the first, had a 13-hit attack and were in control all game. And yet manager Buck Showalter again had to ask his bullpen to pitch four full innings - using four relievers  - to secure the victory, which snapped the club's modest two-game losing streak.

I can’t say that the Orioles have been a disappointment this season. Outside of their recent road trip, a lousy one for sure, they are who we thought were, so I’ll let them off the hook. But a handful of individuals have struggled, including Nick Markakis, who was recently named to one writer’s “All-Disappointment Team.” Joe Sheehan of Sports Illustrated added Markakis to a star-studded roster of underperforming players , which includes All-Stars such as Albert Pujols, Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez and Ubaldo Jimenez.

Orioles closer Jim Johnson, who hasn't pitched since April 22 and spent four days in the hospital last week with food poisoning, said he threw a second bullpen session Sunday and is ready to get back into a game. “It seems like it has been a long time,” Johnson said. “But I feel fine. I feel like I am back to where I need to be.” Johnson said he threw a bullpen session Sunday - his second since returning to the team on Friday - and he felt good enough to tell manager Buck Showalter that he was ready to pitch.

DETROIT -- His teammates refer to Arthur Rhodes as The Vulture now, acknowledging his presence with bird calls that would frighten any passing flock. He's scavenged six of his seven victories this year, taking over in the middle innings and dominating until the Orioles score enough runs to win.There is a story behind this. The first pitcher called The Vulture was a reliever for the Dodgers in 1966 -- Phil Regan, who, as manager of the Orioles last year, was the man who moved Rhodes to the bullpen.