By Dan Connolly | dan.connolly@baltsun.com

June 18, 2009
In his past two outings, Orioles left-handed specialist Alberto Castillo has faced four left-handers.

Three of them have reached base safely. And three runs have scored. It has gotten the attention of Orioles manager Dave Trembley.

"There [are] times when you put a left-hander in there to get a left-hander out, and [if] it doesn't happen once, you are OK with it," Trembley said. "If it doesn't happen twice, the red light goes on. Three times, you start going, 'Hey, maybe you've got to start putting guys in and play the game as if you don't have a left-handed guy.' And that's honest.

"I am not to three yet."

Castillo, 33, was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on June 5, when the club released its former left-handed specialist, Jamie Walker, who allowed lefties to get on at a nearly .500 clip (12 base runners in 25 plate appearances).

Castillo has pitched four times this month; the past two were ineffective.

"I want to keep going out there and keep working and keep pitching, and it's going to come," Castillo said. "I am confident I can get lefties out."

Lefties are 3-for-7 with a walk this season against Castillo, who held minor league left-handers to a .209 average this season and big league lefties to a .256 mark last year. If he can't hold the specialist job, the Orioles might have to go without one. There is no option at Norfolk, and potential replacement Wilfrido Perez is on the Double-A Bowie disabled list with a sore elbow.

"I think it is important that you do have a left-hander in the bullpen, especially late in the game," Trembley said. "You never want to play short. And if you don't have a lefty, I think sometimes you feel like you might be playing short."

Sarfate ready for Florida
Right-handed reliever Dennis Sarfate, who has been on the DL since May 3 after experiencing numbness in his right finger caused by a circulatory condition, leaves Friday for extended spring training in Sarasota, Fla.

He'll throw off a mound Wednesday and is scheduled to complete several mound sessions before returning to Maryland on July 1.

He hopes to begin a rehabilitation assignment at Bowie on July 2 with an eventual return to the Orioles around the All-Star break.

"I am so eager. I could pitch right now," said Sarfate, who was 0-0 with a 6.39 ERA in eight games before losing feeling in the finger. "The way my arm has been feeling the last five times I have thrown, I feel like I could throw in a game today. Now it is just a matter of getting the timing and feeling off the mound and the breaking stuff. But the way my arm feels right now is unbelievable."

Markakis out of drought?
Trembley said he hopes Nick Markakis' home run Tuesday - his first since May 21 - is a sign that the Orioles' star right-fielder is about to break out of his offensive doldrums. After hitting .381 in April, Markakis batted just .240 in May.

He batted .245 in his first 49 June at-bats but was hitting .292 in his past seven games heading into Wednesday. He singled in his first four at-bats Wednesday.

"Nick has been struggling; I think he would ... admit it," Trembley said. "But he'll hit 20 home runs and be close if not have 100 RBIs when the season is over. That's where he'll be. And he'll be at .300 or around it. That's where he'll be."

Around the horn
Left fielder Nolan Reimold will appear Thursday at noon for a free Q&A session with fans at the ESPN Zone on Pratt Street. ... Norfolk manager Gary Allenson has been selected to help coach the International League in the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 15 in Portland, Ore. He was selected by Louisville manager Rick Sweet, who will manage the IL All-Stars. ... In his second start at Triple-A, Orioles pitching prospect Jake Arrieta allowed five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to Louisville on Wednesday. Seven of the 14 outs he recorded were by strikeout.