Showalter on Strop

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was asked today whether he's comfortable using reliever Pedro Strop in any situation after yesterday's outing, when the right-hander allowed two inherited runners to score and four of his own. "What does 'comfortable' mean," Showalter replied. Will Showalter use Strop in any situation? "Well, it depends what the needs of our bullpen are," he said. "Yesterday, we had three or four guys that we weren't going to use. We've got some guys who, when they're healthy, might be ahead of him, but we'll play it by ear, depending on what the needs and health of our bullpen are. "The reason why we won those first two games and the last game in Tampa... That's the way it works. You try to win that game and keep the health of your people and then make the adjustment the next day. Some things you don't ask the pitchers. You just do it. You go ask Jim Johnson and he'll tell you, 'I'll pitch 10 days in a row.' Well, that's not good for us. We can't do it that way and expect to be a good team. We're not even halfway through the season. "So, to answer your question, it just depends on what night. In some situations, he might not have pitched yesterday. I wish he hadn't jumped up for the chopper that would have gone right to J.J. (Hardy), but he did and he should do it. I try not to live in the past with it. You want him to have that same attitude that every day is the beginning of something new and good. Instead of that woe is me sports world that we kind of live in sometimes. "I'm not going to over wear-and-tear them. We didn't do it last year and we haven't done it so far this year. We want them to be there for the long haul. We're not like some clubs that have endless things that they can do. We know who we are and we're going to try to keep those people in a position that they can do what they're capable of doing. "Pete's had some good outings for us this year. You saw the outings he had on the road and the rehab. It just snowballed a little bit, and because of the situation in the game yesterday, it got magnified, and rightfully so. I know the questions you all are probably getting asked by people. Pete knows that, too. But his teammates support him. He's very likeable. He loves the Orioles, he loves winning and he wants to be a part of that. And he gets frustrated when it doesn't always work out that way. But it can be an unforgiving place, regardless of where you're playing. Everybody wants it to happen every time. That's why we go play the games, because what should happen on paper doesn't always happen." Strop is celebrating his 28th birthday today.