Orioles Team Report

Despite the early success of the bullpen, manager Dave Trembley is concerned about his starters not going deep enough games and admitted Tuesday he has been thinking about adding a 13th pitcher to the staff at some points during the season.

“I thought about it in spring training, and I’m still thinking about it now because I don’t want to overburden the guys. I don’t want to use guys three or four days in a row, which I will stay away from,” Trembley said. “But really, that question will be answered depending on how your starting pitchers do.”

The fact is that Trembley already has used setup men Chad Bradford and Jamie Walker and closer George Sherrill in three consecutive games. It was that realization that renewed his thought of adding another reliever on the roster. He added that he doesn’t even like to get relievers up to throw without using them.

“If your starting pitchers take you six or seven, I think you’re OK … at least two out of five you need your guys to take you that far: Ideally, you’d like three. If you get less than that and you have no days off over a long period of time, you’re going to tax those guys in the pen,” the manager said.

He brought up the concern he would have with a short, three-man bench.

“That would be something that I think you’d only have to do for a very short period of time because you do have some guys on this club, especially late in the game, that you’d like the flexibility to be able to run for somebody,” he said.

Before Burres’ six innings Tuesday, Jeremy Guthrie and Daniel Cabrera were the lone Orioles to go deep into a game, seven and six innings respectively. More six- and seven-inning stints are a must to keep the bullpen fresh. Trembley is obviously very aware of that.

Orioles 8, Rangers 1: Brian Burres got into and out of trouble while blanking the Rangers for six innings. Aubrey Huff was 4-for-4 with two two-run doubles while the Orioles got home runs from Scott Moore and Luke Scott and an RBI hit by Brian Roberts off starter Jason Jennings. Ian Kinsler got the only RBI for the Rangers. The win was the Orioles’ sixth in succession, putting them five games over .500 for the first time since 2005.

Notes, Quotes

• 3B Scott Moore, who got the final roster spot out of spring training, got his first start of the season Tuesday and got his first hit, which was also his first homer. Moore, the last position player to get a start, struck out in his only two previous at bats, both as a pinch hitter.

• LF Luke Scott went into Tuesday’s game leading the AL in batting at .500. He walked in his first plate appearance and followed with his first homer as an Oriole with a runner on in the third inning, extending his mini-hitting streak to four games. He added a double in the fifth.

• LHP Brian Burres made his first start of the season Tuesday, which was also his 27th birthday, and became the third consecutive Orioles starter to get through at least six innings. The only run he allowed came after giving up a hit to the first batter in the seventh inning, immediately before coming out.

• DH Aubrey Huff became the first Oriole to get four hits in as many at-bats after six three-hit games by other Orioles in the first six games. Huff had four RBIs and he also walked to lead the offense Tuesday.

• RHP Matt Albers gave up the hit that got the Rangers’ only run home in the seventh inning Tuesday. He gave up two hits while striking out two in two innings, but the run was charged to starter Brian Burres. The Orioles bullpen has now allowed only two runs in 24 1/3 innings.

By The Numbers: 3—RHP Chad Bradford, LHP Jamie Walker and closer George Sherrill each appeared in three of the first five games.

Quote To Note: “For me, it starts with an attitude and an acceptance from everybody that this is the way we’re going to go about doing it … we’ve got guys in the game pitch-by-pitch, we’ve got guys picking each other up and saying, ‘Hey, get the guy over.’ I haven’t heard those things in a while so it’s nice to not only hear it, but to see guys picking each other up.”—Manager Dave Trembley on the new attitude in the dugout.

Roster Report

Medical Watch:

UT Freddie Bynum (arthroscopic surgery on right knee in March 2008) opened the season on the 15-day disabled list. He is out until late April.

LHP Troy Patton (torn labrum in left shoulder) had season-ending surgery March 18, and he opened the season on the 15-day disabled list. He should be able to start throwing in the fall.

RHP Chris Ray (Tommy John surgery in August 2007) opened the season on the 15-day disabled list. He might miss all of the 2008 season. There’s some hope he could return in August or September.

RHP Danys Baez (Tommy John surgery in September 2007) opened the season on the 15-day disabled list. He likely will miss the entire 2008 season.

RHP Jim Hoey (right shoulder soreness) opened the season on the 15-day disabled list.

RHP Rocky Cherry (right shoulder strain) opened the season on the 15-day disabled list.

RHP Fernando Cabrera (right elbow surgery in December 2007) opened the season on the 15-day disabled list.