Segui

CHICAGO -- To reach Cal Ripken's all-time record of 2,632 consecutive games played, Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada would have to play every game for another 12 1/2 seasons. So even though Tejada felt good enough to play last night after leaving Tuesday's game in the first inning with cramps in his right shin, he insisted he wouldn't hesitate to sit if he was hurting the team by playing. "To me, the streak -- it means a lot," said Tejada, who has played 623 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors.

The bullpen has been a big story for the Orioles this season - with the terrific success of Rodrigo Lopez and B.J. Ryan and the struggles of Mike DeJean - but for the most part, the spotlight has strayed from closer Jorge Julio. He saunters quietly through the clubhouse or sits at his locker listening to reggae music in his headphones, and it's easy to overlook his 0.75 ERA. Julio, 25, blew his first save chance this season when the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Robert Fick hit a game-tying home run April 9, but that's the only run he has allowed all season.

CLEVELAND - Standing near the steps of the Orioles' dugout last night, a game slipping away from him early with little to be done about it, manager Lee Mazzilli wore the look of an uncomfortable man. Was it the cold, damp weather or the performance of his starting pitcher? At least he could slip on a jacket to stay warm. Slowing down the Cleveland Indians required a more complex solution, and the Orioles never found it. The Indians scored six runs off Sidney Ponson in the first two innings, drilling hits to all parts of the field and re-enacting the beatings their playoff teams used to dispense, and they cruised to an 11-2 victory before 18,782 at Jacobs Field.

CLEVELAND - Outfielder Darnell McDonald was fuming after Triple-A Ottawa manager Tim Leiper removed him from Thursday's game in the seventh inning. He hadn't done anything wrong, and as he waited for an explanation on the bench, he grew more angry and confused. It wasn't until later in the day, after being summoned into Leiper's office, that McDonald learned of his first major league promotion. The Orioles placed David Segui on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with inflammation in his left knee, a move that's retroactive to Sunday and makes him eligible to return on May 10. McDonald, 25, took Segui's spot on the roster and started in right field last night.

Before taking the field yesterday for pre-game stretching, David Segui leaned on a bat in front of his locker, studied his sore left knee and wondered how much longer the Orioles would play short-handed without him. It doesn't appear that they're willing to go any further with the current arrangement. Unable to run because of pain and swelling in the knee, Segui most likely will be placed on the disabled list for the fourth time in the past two seasons. The move is expected to come before tonight's game in Cleveland.

In choosing a designated hitter for last night's game against the Seattle Mariners, Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli weighed the condition of David Segui's left knee and the desire to give B.J. Surhoff more at-bats. Under those terms, the decision became pretty obvious. It won't always be that simple. Segui was hitting .325 (13-for-40) in his past 10 games before taking a seat on the bench, as he did Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays. But Surhoff was 5-for-8 in his past two starts, leaving his average at .375.

Sixteen games into the season, it appears that Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora has brought back another aspect of his game: the bunt. Mora has three bunt singles, half as many as he accumulated last season. He led the team with 17 in 2001, but had only one the following year as his power numbers started to increase. The Orioles will take home runs from Mora, but they don't need them as much with Miguel Tejada, Rafael Palmeiro and Javy Lopez inhabiting the middle of their lineup. Because he's batting second, Mora's responsibilities include moving up runners, not circling the bases behind them.

In the span of about 20 minutes yesterday, Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli made changes to his posted lineup that put two regulars on the bench and a Rule 5 draft pick in right field for his first major league start. A bottle of white-out was more valuable to Mazzilli than a pitching chart. Jay Gibbons was scratched because of a mild back strain, and David Segui took a seat next to him because of sore knees. B.J. Surhoff went from being a reserve to replacing Gibbons in right field to serving as the designated hitter, and his two-run double gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead in the third inning.

For the first two weeks of the regular season, the rash of injuries that plagued the Orioles during spring training virtually disappeared. But as the team prepares to open a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays tonight at Camden Yards, it will be without starters Jay Gibbons and David Segui, both of whom were scratched from the lineup with minor ailments. Gibbons, the Orioles' everyday right fielder, has a strained back muscle. He's also struggled mightily in his career against Tampa Bay starter Mark Hendrickson - making tonight a prime opportunity for the team's reigning RBI champ to get a night off. Gibbons went 0-for-3 against Hendrickson earlier this season.