Well-Paid Bullpen Costs O's Again

Baez, Walker, Bradford Turn a 4-1 Lead Into a Loss -- Baltimore's Fifth Straight : Mariners 5, Orioles 4

SEATTLE, June 5 -- While Jim Duquette and Mike Flanagan watched relievers walk in and out of the seventh inning Tuesday night, they surely thought something along the lines of, "How can this be happening again?" They had spent $42 million overhauling the Baltimore Orioles' bullpen in the offseason, and for their money they received, so far, the same recurring bad dream they lived through last season.

Maybe worse. In a 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners, the Orioles' bullpen blew a lead for the third straight game, this time with three relievers sharing the blame, the three the Orioles paid most lavishly to ensure that such implosions were only a memory.

Danys Baez, Jamie Walker and Chad Bradford combined to give up four runs in the seventh inning, turning a possible victory for Brian Burres into another white-knuckled loss. A six-game winning streak has turned into a five-game losing streak, and the bullpen carries the brunt of the blame. The Orioles have led in 14 consecutive games, and they have won only half of them.

"It's frustrating," said third baseman Melvin Mora. "I don't even know how we do it. This is something amazing. We should be in first place. We're in all the games. It's not like it's something we're happy about. We're not happy."

Walker took the loss, but Baez dug the hole. He allowed a leadoff single to Jose Guillen and then melted down, throwing eight consecutive balls to walk Raul Ibañez and Kenji Johjima, nearly hitting Johjima twice.

"I was trying to do much," Baez said. "The bullpen has been working too much, I think. Sometimes, the bullpen can't be used everyday. We're doing the best we can everyday. Sometimes, things don't go the right way."

So Manager Sam Perlozzo called on Walker with the bases loaded and no outs. But at least he had three runs to work with; he could keep Baltimore not only alive, but ahead with a strong performance. He allowed a sacrifice fly to Jose Vidro for the first out, making it a 4-2 game.

Ben Broussard followed with a sharp bouncer to first, which Kevin Millar dove for and stopped. He jumped up and fired to Walker, who was late covering first base. Johjima scored, making it 4-3 with still only one out.

Yuniesky Betancourt then drilled a single, tying the game. Walker's outing was over; he allowed all three of the runners he inherited from Baez to score.

Perlozzo said he felt Walker and Bradford had been overused, but, "I don't make no excuses," Walker said. "I got beat. I'm a man. I'll tip my hat. And my [butt] will be here ready to play tomorrow. That's for damn sure."

In came Chad Bradford, who got the second out. The inning could still be salvaged with the Orioles tied, but up came Ichiro Suzuki. He dumped a blooper behind third base for a double, scoring Broussard for the go-ahead run.

Another lead had been lost by the bullpen. On Sunday, it happened when Chris Ray gave Vladimir Guerrero a hanging slider and he deposited it over the fence. On Monday, it happened more slowly, a four-run rally that erased a one-run lead. On Tuesday, it was more painful still, a seemingly healthy lead frittered away.

"It's not easy," Perlozzo said. "It's a tough period we're going through. We feel like we're snakebit a little bit."

The biggest victim, really, was Burres, who made his last start for a while. Burres allowed at least two base runners in five innings. He mixed in five hits around the last four outs he made. He struck out no one. He threw 111 pitches over his 5 2/3 innings, only 63 of which were strikes. Somehow, Burres threw those disastrous ingredients into a pot, stirred it and came out with chicken soup.

Burres's escape acts were indicative of his first stint as a major league starter, during which he won three games despite not pitching into the seventh inning.

The Orioles gave Burres the lead with two RBI doubles from Millar, and Miguel Tejada also ripped a pair of doubles. They had a chance to grab it back in the top of the ninth when Ramon Hernandez began the inning with a single, but a botched sacrifice by Corey Patterson led to the forceout of pinch runner Freddie Bynum at second base and canceled the inning's momentum.

Now, the Orioles have two days off in the next week. So Perlozzo plans on making Burres a long reliever, sending him to the bullpen. It seems likely he has more confidence in the pitchers he sends to the bullpen than the ones he calls from it.

"When you get into the eighth inning and you see a man at first base," Mora said, "'Oh, my God, don't tell me that's going to happen again.' That's what I think."