O's set rotation through the Texas series

TORONTO - The Orioles' starting rotation is set through the Texas series that begins Tuesday night at Camden Yards.

Yovani Gallardo starts in Toronto this afternoon and Chris Tillman pitches here Sunday. Dylan Bundy starts the series opener Tuesday against Texas, with Kevin Gausman pitching Wednesday and Gallardo back on the mound on Thursday night. The Orioles don't need a fifth starter again until Saturday.

After a brief run of solid starting pitching for a time, O's starters have an ERA of 7.71 during their four-game losing streak.

O's manager Buck Showalter said today that outfielder Joey Rickard is progressing faster than exepected from the ligmant tear in his right thumb. He's been on the disabled list since July 22 after getting hurt two days earlier at Yankee Stadium.

"I tell Monday is a big day if the get the splint off. They've gotten most of the swelling out there which is unusual. I'm hoping for positive news," Showalter said. Rickard was originally expected to be out until September.

The skipper was asked today how Rogers Centre ranks as a home-field advantage in the American League.

"I'm not going there," he said. "It's funny, when they first opened the place up it was a pitcher's paradise. Pitchers loved pitching here. I don't know what is different (now). Obviously they've got great hitters. I see balls get hit places here that I never saw before.

"I love what they did with the infield. It looks more like a baseball field. The turf is different. We play on two turf fields in our division, the only two left in baseball. Plus, they have good support, like we do. Usually the home-field advantage is dictated by starting pitching and they've got good starting pitching."

Showalter talked more in his pregame session today about Manny Machado scoring from first base on a groundout last night. Machado was on first base when Chris Davis hit a grounder to the left side against the shift. With defenders positioned how they were, third base was left uncovered and Machado ran for the bag. An error on catcher Russell Martin, scrambling to cover third, allowed Machado to score. It was like Little League: He just kept running.

"One of things with shifts, we take infield 10 times in the spring with the shift in place to see how we are going to cover this," Showalter said. "What happens if that. It also leads you to think about it offensively. But you have to be proactive as a baserunner and think about it beforehand. There are a lot of things, like relays are tougher out of the shift. I know how you defend that play properly, but in the heat of battle it's tough."