Holding pattern in place

BALTIMORE -- The three college students, all Red Sox fans, sitting just below the opening to the Camden Yards press box, had spent the afternoon showing off their homemade sign and yelling up toward Jerry Remy. They seemed, at times, more intent on making it on NESN than they did on watching the game. But, at the end of the eighth inning, once David Newhan's popped-up bunt had settled into the glove of first baseman J.T. Snow, one of the group seemed to get it right, yelling out, ''Welcome back, Foulke."

While perhaps premature -- one inning does not a comeback make -- the statement summed up perfectly erstwhile closer Keith Foulke's performance. He was, for those 12 pitches, back.

''That's as good as I've seen Foulke throw the ball in a long time," manager Terry Francona said after the Red Sox' 4-1 win, which completed the sweep over the Orioles. ''I think we have been on the same page the whole time. I'm in his corner, big-time. I want him to be a big part of what we're doing."

Foulke's position on the team, in flux since his struggles and injuries last season, was never more clear than yesterday.

As Foulke began the eighth, Jonathan Papelbon was stretching in the bullpen, then was announced to be warming as Foulke pitched to Corey Patterson. The young righthander, the closer for now at least, was visible beyond Foulke in the outfield. With Mike Timlin having relieved starter Tim Wakefield for the seventh, Foulke followed, trying to preserve the 4-1 lead. But it was, as it has been in three of the first six games of the season, Papelbon in the ninth. And Papelbon with the save.

That was expected. Papelbon gets the ball in close games. What wasn't quite as expected was how Foulke pitched. Facing the Orioles' 8-9-1 hitters (though Brian Roberts pinch hit for Chris Gomez to start the inning), Foulke dispatched the trio easily and effectively. With an 89 mile-per-hour fastball, he got Roberts, swinging, on a 1-2 pitch. He struck out Patterson, also swinging, on a changeup nearly in the dirt. And, after a swing-and-miss from Newhan, he finished out the frame with that harmless pop to first.

''Got three guys out in a row," Foulke said. ''That's the first time that's happened in a while. I don't know, just made some better pitches today, had a little better snap on the ball today."

Francona said he never considered sending Foulke out for a second inning, though the pitcher was known for going more than three outs for a save before his problem-plagued 2005 season. Foulke faced the hitters Francona wanted him to face. And Papelbon had the ninth.

''I felt better today than I have in a long, long time," Foulke said. ''Velocity was back up in the high 80s, but more importantly I was getting on the hitters pretty quick. That's what I need to do. I need to get the ball to the catcher's mitt more, just have the hitters off balance, guessing, making defensive swings."

After allowing one run on two hits in one inning in his first appearance this season, a non-save situation on Opening Day in Texas, Foulke looked much more like himself, circa 2004. He is still, he said, struggling to replicate the mechanics that will allow him to be effective. But, with yesterday's performance (and a one-inning, no-run outing in the first game of the Baltimore series), the possibility of returning to at least a version of his old self seems significantly more realistic than it did a week ago.

That's why it was gratifying to get the congratulations of his teammates once he stepped off the mound after his last pitch.

''What I think it is, more than anything, is I think there's actually a lot of respect for the way he's doing what we're asking him to do," Francona said.

''All the bad times last year are well documented. He has been as professional as you can be. And, if he throws like that, we're going to have some kind of bullpen."