Odrisamer Despaigne on his promotion and last night's outing

BOSTON - Odrisamer Despaigne made his Orioles debut last night and tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings, wiggling out of a few jams and relying on left-hander Brian Duensing to strand two of his runners upon his departure.

It wasn't clean, but it was effective. The Orioles already were down 6-0. Despaigne applied the tourniquet.

The Orioles didn't give Despaigne a specific role after recalling him on Tuesday from Triple-A Norfolk. He's in the bullpen for now, but the rotation could become an option if it continues to labor.

Orioles starters have posted a 5.91 ERA this month. The rotation's 4.89 ERA for the season ranks 26th in the majors. Help may have to come from within.

Despaigne has handled both jobs, making 34 starts and 17 relief appearances in the majors. Whatever the Orioles ask of him, he can fall back on his prior experiences.

"I was ready for everything," Despaigne said today, with coach Einar Diaz serving as interpreter. "To be a starter or in the bullpen, it doesn't matter. I was ready to help the team in whatever I can.

"I said in spring training I was working as a reliever all the time and when I came to the season, in Triple-A, I was a starter over there. I was ready for anything."

Including his stint last night as the replacement for starter Kevin Gausman, who lasted only three innings.

"Yesterday, I was feeling good," he said. "Got good rest. The fouls felt like they were carrying a little more when they were down two and that was helping me a little bit."

Despaigne came to the Orioles on a roll. He posted a 1.63 ERA in his last five starts at Norfolk and allowed only one earned run in his last two starts over 12 innings.

"Early in the season it was tough because I was a reliever and now I'm starting the games," he said. "It was tough, but little by little I'm getting better and better and now I'm really good now. I can do it from the bullpen and as a starter, too."

The Orioles have plopped him down in the middle of a pennant race. They're tied with the Red Sox for first place in the division and the Blue Jays are breathing down their necks.

"It's nice to be on a team that's in first place, but at the same time I'd like to be, you know, playing completely in first place, too," he said. "It's nice to be here."

Despaigne has made the move to the American League after parts of two seasons with the Padres.

"It's a little different between here and the National League," he said. "The National League is more strategy and people run more, but here they wait for the big ball and that's a big difference. But now I'm involved here."

Notes: Manny Machado's hearing on his appeal of a four-game suspension is scheduled for Tuesday, according to an industry source.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy's rehab assignment will move to Single-A Frederick on Friday if he doesn't come off the disabled list. He remains at Double-A Bowie today.

Gausman will start Monday's makeup game against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas.