NEW YORK -- Rodrigo Lopez has been the focal point of Baltimore's rotation all season, but now the context has changed. The Orioles aren't arranging next week's schedule around Lopez -- they're pushing him back to keep everyone else on turn. The three-time Opening Day starter will pitch next on Friday, three days after his previously scheduled start.

"Basically, we just want to keep the guys in line," said Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo. "Rodrigo's a couple days later, but then all those top four guys are going to get their four starts before the break, keeping Daniel [Cabrera] and Erik [Bedard] and [Kris] Benson straight."

Lopez, generally mild-mannered, was still upset when approached by reporters, and he didn't try to hide it. When he was asked if Perlozzo had given him an explanation, he asked what the manager said to the media. He was told that Perlozzo wanted to keep everyone pitching on their normal schedule, and he replied, "Everyone else but me."

"I'm not OK with it. I don't agree with it," he said at another point in the interview. "But there's no point in arguing. He made his decision. I just have to deal with it."

Lopez won on Opening Day but struggled for much of the season's first two months. He allowed at least four earned runs in each of his first 10 starts and went through a seven-decision losing streak, but seemed to be coming around recently. Lopez won three times in a row with Javy Lopez as his personal catcher, but he stumbled to a loss last time out.

"I had been doing better and gotten back on track," he said. "I just had one bad outing, and they made their decision. There's nothing I can do about it. I've just got to be patient. The only thing I can do is try to get my stuff back."

On that count, Lopez and the Orioles see eye-to-eye. The right-hander has notched an ERA over 6.00 in each of the season's first three months, bearing little or no resemblance to the pitcher that won at least 14 games in three of the last four years. Lopez knows that the best way to make his point is to pitch better, but he still wanted to speak his piece.

"I don't think it matters right now. I can't start worrying about rhythm or how I feel," he said. "They made their decision about who is going to pitch. Again, I don't agree with it. But I'm just part of the team. The only thing I can control, the only thing I can do is get myself ready and try to make a good start the next time."

Right at home: With Jay Gibbons on the disabled list, rookie Nick Markakis has gotten to settle in at right field. Perlozzo said the former first-round draft pick has looked more comfortable in right than any other position.

"He obviously reacts to the ball a lot better out in right," he said. "Early on, it wasn't an option. He needed to play some other positions. I think he was getting better in left field as the season went on."

Markakis also got a rare start against a left-handed pitcher Sunday, and Perlozzo said he'd like to try him out against southpaws more often as the season progresses.

"I think he's showing some signs that he's swinging the bat a little better," he said. "If it was a hard-throwing left-hander, we might have thought about giving him a blow. We need a little defense and left-handers hit just as good off [Tom] Glavine as righties."

Quotable: "Adam can swing. I don't know if he's a misser or not, but he looks good swinging. You know, there's a lot of guys that can bat, but there's only a few that can hit. He'll decide that today. His job is to stay in there and get three at-bats. If he gets three at-bats today, I'd say he's got a good game going." -- Perlozzo talking about Sunday starter Adam Loewen, who was a highly regarded offensive player before he was drafted as a pitcher

Coming up: The Orioles get a day off Monday and will resume their season Tuesday against the Florida Marlins. Cabrera will get the ball in the series opener, and he'll be matched against Florida ace Dontrelle Willis.