What's going on with Gonzo?
By Roch Kubatko
Is Mike Gonzalez the closer tonight?
Not if his mechanics still need to be ironed out.
I wouldn't count on Gonzalez getting the ball in the ninth inning unless the Orioles have a comfortable lead, but you decide.
"I'm not sure when I would use him, whether that be the seventh inning or eighth inning or ninth inning," manager Dave Trembley said. "He came here to be the closer. Like I said before he left to attend the birth of his child, I thought it was in his best interest and in the team's best interest not to put him out there in a closing situation until he got some mechanical things straightened out.
"The perfect scenario would be to be ahead 9-1 in the ninth and not have to worry about it. We need a laugher."
It sounds like Trembley wants to ease Gonzalez back into the role, whether it's using him in a blowout or earlier in the game. If the left-hander strings together a few dominant innings and avoids spilling into the third base dugout, he'll be the closer again.
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