Ace in the hole — Ex-BYU pitcher Guthrie flying high for the Orioles

Based on his one-year pitching stint at BYU, Jeremy Guthrie wasn't sure what would become of his baseball career.

After an up-and-down freshman season in Provo in 1998, Guthrie departed for an LDS mission to Spain. Few returned missionaries wind up in the major leagues, so the odds were stacked against him.

But look at Guthrie now.

Nearly 10 years after wearing a Cougar uniform, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-hander is part of the Baltimore Orioles' starting rotation and has been a bright spot on a club that desperately needed a solid arm.

Guthrie, who replaced injured starter Jaret Wright in the rotation on May 8, owns a glossy 3-1 record and a 2.70 earned run average. In his most recent start last Saturday, he recorded a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies after surrendering only two runs in eight innings in a 3-2 setback.

Not bad for a guy whose ERA entering the 2007 season, hovered over six.

No wonder, when asked about his current situation, Guthrie told the Deseret Morning News recently, "I didn't expect my career to turn out like it has."

After being released last winter by the Cleveland Indians, the team that made him a first-round draft pick in 2002, Guthrie was acquired by the Orioles as a waiver claim. Guthrie played well during spring training, then struggled in relief earlier this season. But since becoming a starter, he has made the most of his opportunities.

In a victory over the Washington Nationals on May 19, for instance, he racked up 10 strikeouts. A week ago, Guthrie held one of the best teams in baseball, the Los Angeles Angels, to only one hit through the first seven innings but came away with a no-decision when Vladimir Guerrero crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth off reliever Chris Ray.

Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo likes what he's seen from Guthrie, who has a fastball clocked in the mid-90s and an ability to sprinkle in off-speed stuff. Perlozzo is optimistic about Guthrie's prospects as a starter over the long term.

"He's a little bit of an unknown still," Perlozzo told MLB.com, "but every time he goes out and does well, it's something for us to see. We'll just cross our fingers that what we're seeing is the real deal."

So far, Guthrie is happy about the way things are turning out in Baltimore.