The next 10 days will feel like an eternity for Mike Pelfrey, who must wait until the end of the month to learn if he has secured a spot in the rotation. Heading into last night's start against the Orioles, Pelfrey appeared to have the inside track, and he did nothing to sabotage his chances in the Mets' 6-1 victory at Tradition Field. Pelfrey surrendered a pair of doubles in the first inning, but followed with four scoreless innings before heading to the bullpen to get his pitch count up to the requisite 90 for the night. He was tagged for seven hits overall, but gave up only his second earned run in 14 innings (1.29 ERA). Asked if he was feeling confident about winning a job, Pelfrey responded with "comfortable." "Like I've said before, it's not my decision," he said. And that decision, according to manager Willie Randolph, hasn't been made. "Keeps them on edge," Randolph said. "You don't want to give anybody anything. You've got to earn it. That's the way I look at it - earning it. It's what you feel about yourself, not what I feel, really. Maybe I'll mess him up if I tell him."