Father-to-Be Sarfate Waits For the Call

BOSTON, June 11 -- When the phone in the bullpen rings nowadays, Baltimore Orioles reliever Dennis Sarfate figures it can signal one of two things: Get warmed up and ready to go into the game, or make a mad dash to the airport in hopes of arriving in Baltimore in time to witness the birth of his first child.

"You just try to not think about it too much," said Sarfate, who looked focused as he worked 1 1/3 innings of strong relief to help the Orioles past the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Of course, blocking out thoughts of his family situation has been easier said than done, especially with his wife, Jada, expected to give birth to daughter Kinsley any day now. In recent days, the anticipation has grown since Jada's due date -- Sunday -- has come and gone.

"It's tough," Sarfate said. "Every time I get a call down there, you kind of think, 'Is it that or is it the game situation?' "

Sarfate has been given permission to leave the team for his daughter's birth. But he said the ideal situation would be for his daughter to arrive while the Orioles are at home. They return to Baltimore for a six-game homestand beginning Friday.

"Hopefully, she can hold off," Sarfate said. "She's been a trooper so far. Hopefully, she can hold off till Thursday or Friday when I'm home. She's doing a great job right now. I wish I was there with her."

Another Bradford Milestone

Orioles reliever Chad Bradford became a trivia answer when he surrendered Manny Ramírez's 500th career home run May 31. But it is unlikely that Ramírez will go down in history as being part of a personal milestone for Bradford. The right-hander made his 500th major league appearance on Tuesday night, a one-batter stint that ended with Ramírez popping out.

"It's a little bit of a different deal," Bradford said.

Bradford, known for his distinctive submarine throwing style, said he never gave much thought to the number of appearances he's made since starting his major league career in 1998.

"I never thought about it," he said. "It's been a long road but it's pretty cool to hit that kind of milestone. It was pretty cool to be able to go out and do that."

UP NEXT Today at Red Sox6:05 p.m. Guthrie (3-6) vs. Lester (4-3) MASN Tomorrow vs. Pirates7:05 p.m. Burres (4-5) vs. Dumatrait (3-3) MASN, WJZ-13 UP NEXT Today at Red Sox6:05 p.m. Guthrie (3-6) vs. Lester (4-3) MASN Tomorrow vs. Pirates7:05 p.m. Burres (4-5) vs. Dumatrait (3-3) MASN, WJZ-13