When a team loses the closer who was supposed to replace the closer, baseball can turn into a chess match out of necessity over preference. Day or knight.

Manager Craig Albernaz would like to do as others have before him. Buck Showalter had All-Stars Darren O’Day and Brad Brach and future All-Star Andrew Miller setting up for All-Star Zack Britton. Brandon Hyde had All-Star Yennier Cano setting up for All-Star Félix Bautista, winner of the American League’s 2023 Reliever of the Year award.

Showalter used to say, “Want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.” Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias signed Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract with an opt-out clause. He secured a two-time All-Star, probably for 2026 only before the right-hander would take another shot at free agency and a bigger payday. But that was fine. The organization had its eyes fixed on this season.

Cano remained in the bullpen and Elias swung a trade to bring back Andrew Kittredge. Bautista underwent surgery in August to repair his labrum and rotator cuff, but pitching later in the summer seemed like a realistic goal.

The Helsley part of the plan didn’t work. He posted a 4.11 ERA and 1.435 WHIP in only 17 appearances, with two trips to the injured list because of right elbow inflammation. He told the media yesterday that he threw a 15-to-20 pitch bullpen session on Sunday. That’s good, but he’s got a long way to go, with more ‘pens planned and a rehab assignment before the Orioles can consider adding him to the roster next month.

Asked last week whether Helsley will be available in September, Albernaz said, “You know, right now it’s just taking it day-by-day with Hels, see how he’s feeling.

“You know, when Helsley’s back, he’s back.”

And if he’s not, the Orioles should have Bautista as a main option now that the mountainous right-hander is on a rehab assignment. Bautista joined Triple-A Norfolk yesterday.

The club might not want to dump too heavy of a load on Bautista. And it still has to navigate late innings without him, which happened again Friday night.

The Orioles led 5-3 when Kittredge began to warm for the top of the eighth inning. He wasn’t going to close. That responsibility fell upon Rico Garcia, who retired the side in order and struck out two to record his sixth save and his first since July 27.

Kittredge had a blown save Aug. 15 at Tropicana Field but was credited with the win after the Orioles took a 4-3 lead in the 10th inning and Cam Sanders recorded his third save. Sanders also had a save the previous night by retiring one batter after Cano surrendered three runs in the ninth. Kittredge closed on Aug. 5 and Aug. 11. Cano picked up the save Aug. 4 after Garcia worked the seventh and Kittredge the eighth.

Nine different players have registered saves. Helsley remains the leader with eight and he hasn’t pitched since June 27.

The Orioles haven’t seen more than nine relievers get a save since setting the club record with 10 in 1987 with Tom Niedenfuer, Ken Dixon, Mark Williamson, Don Aase, Jack O’Connor, Doug Corbett, Luis DeLeon, Mike Griffin, John Habyan and Dave Schmidt. Saves became an official stat in 1969.

There’s a process behind the scenes that leads to Albernaz’s choices. It isn’t etched in concrete but it’s pretty solid.

“It’s definitely talked about before the game, and as the game goes,” Albernaz explained. “We all sit down, we have like a bullpen meeting to kind of talk through which pitchers we like for which pockets. We go through a bunch of different scenarios with our starters and how far they go. And then we talk through, OK, if we use Kitt at the top, like (Friday), that’s going to set up Rico for the ninth, and vice-versa. Or if we’re going to use Sanders or Rico at certain spots and then it could be Kitt or it could be Yenny.

“So it’s one of those things where we all talk about it, and obviously the game is chaos and we have to be nimble with that, but ultimately the guys have some general idea of when they’re going in, just to kind of get them in that mental headspace. But more importantly to kind of prep their bodies. That’s the biggest thing is we don’t want to ambush our guys out in the ‘pen. We want to make sure they’re prepared, ready to go, so when their name is called on the phone, they can get up and get ready.”

Albernaz is handing the ball to Kyle Bradish tonight at Busch Stadium, hoping that a comfortable margin slams the door on closing time.

Bradish has made two career starts against the Cardinals and allowed three runs with one walk and 17 strikeouts over 12 innings. Both of his outings came in St. Louis.