Showalter on Britton, Jones, left side of the infield (O's down 5-2)

The tarp is off the field again at Camden Yards after more rain fell in the afternoon. The sun comes out, dark clouds return, the sun comes back out and rain starts and stops. It's been a maddening pattern.

The forecast isn't favorable, but the Orioles as always will try to play tonight and avoid a doubleheader or losing an off-day. They've checked the schedule for alternate dates, just in case.

Manager Buck Showalter didn't use Zach Britton yesterday in Toronto while a 4-1 lead dissolved in the eighth inning, the Blue Jays rallying for a 5-4 win at Rogers Centre. Britton hasn't allowed a run in his last eight appearances and his tenure with the Orioles is winding down as trade talks intensify.

"We knew he was going to have some hiccups along the way, but you can just tell his body language and ... he's in a good place," Showalter said. "Really a fresh arm. I think he's going to have a real solid rest of the season, whatever that entertains.

"I talked to him some yesterday before the game, just kind of get a feel. He's got a lot of people telling him exactly what's going on and they're all different. This has been going on for a while, so I think he's handling it well.

"I can't speak for everybody. Everybody's different. I knew Manny (Machado) would thrive on it and that it wouldn't bother Manny at all. In fact he kind of, I don't want to say enjoys it, but he enjoys the good part of it. Manny doesn't mind being in the spotlight. And in a different way Zach doesn't either. He's lived in a lot of different places, so I think he's prepared for whatever."

Showalter must perform the same balancing act with Britton, wanting to use him to win games, but also needing to be careful with the top trade chip on the roster.

Asked whether he needs to slow-play Britton, Showalter replied, "I'm going to do what's best for our organization, which includes Zach every night. There's a lot of balls that I'm juggling in the course of every day. The bottom line is what's best for our organization short-term, long-term and for our fans.

"How I use Zach, I mean ... let's not insult your intelligence. We all know what's going on here. But if somebody hasn't been watching these last seven-to-10 outings, there's not a whole lot that's going to happen between now and the end of the month that's going to change anything."

Besides an injury, of course.

"That's like, what are you going to do, not play Manny for two weeks?" Showalter said. "You can get hurt stepping off a curb in a parking lot. At some point ... baseball players play.

"One of the things that bothered me a little bit is we take Manny out of that (Sunday) game, a lot of people came to the game and part of their allurement to come to the game was that Manny's playing. That bothered me. But there's a lot of different things. You've got a responsibility to the game, but I've got as big a responsibility to the Orioles and our fans. So there's a lot of things that go through my mind every night during the course of a game, trying to do what's best. Even making a lineup out."

Adam Jones falls in the same category, though without the same level of trade interest. He's starting in center field tonight, weather permitting, and the field is going to be wet.

"I try to take each case individually," Showalter said. "The end game is always the same, but I try to take each case individually. Adam fouls a ball off his foot, (Tim) Beckham has been hit twice on the same elbow pad.

"You've got to understand this (trade) is something that Adam's got to approve, you know? If it happens. That's a whole different scenario where he's concerned, I think. I can't sit here and tell you what you may or may not get for somebody if you trade him. Dan (Duquette) is taking care of all of that.

"He'll play. If it's a wet field, then I'll make considerations. I haven't been told that something is real close there, but they don't have to tell me. That may be the case and I'm not aware of it."

Renato Núñez continues to get the starts at third base after Beckham moved to shortstop. Showalter continues to evaluate the newest Oriole and the left side of the infield.

"He and Tim, trying to kind of let it settle in, let them have a few games," Showalter said. "New organization, new everything. Núñez has been in the big leagues obviously this year and he's still a young man at 24. Obviously, I've talked a lot to our Triple-A guys and people who have had him and trying to formulate your own opinions and be fair. So far, so good. You can tell he's got some bat speed and some thump there.

"I have a pretty good feel for third basemen and shortstops and left fielders because I'm always at home looking at that angle, off the ball and different things, especially range. We'll see. Ask me in about another week."

Beckham had a difficult weekend in the field in Toronto. Showalter could choose to keep him at shortstop to further the evaluation process or experiment with other players - though no one on the current roster is a natural fit.

"First of all, that already began," Showalter said. "Tim doesn't mind work. We had a Saturday when we didn't hit outside after the night game and Tim and Bobby (Dickerson) and even Núñez were on the field working on some things. In fact, they're down there in the room now going over some things that we need to get better at. At first, you try to let them play and leave them alone, but then you start attacking some things. That's already been done.

"Right now, we'll get a good look at Tim and hope that he settles in."

I mentioned earlier that Chris Tillman is expected to decline the Orioles' offer to pitch at Triple-A Norfolk, though everything is subject to change. Showalter didn't have any updates.

"Selfishly, I hope he ends up going to Norfolk with us and we continue down the path, because he was making some progress, but Chris is going to have to make that decision," Showalter said.

"The encouraging thing is he feels good physically. He's just having trouble getting the results. For Chris' sake, he's doing to get an opportunity. I hope it's potentially with us."

Update: Mitch Moreland led off the top of the second inning with a home run to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. The game was delayed 41 minutes by rain after Kevin Gausman retired the first two batters in the first inning.

Update II: Gausman was charged with four more runs in the fifth inning, the last scoring on J.D. Martinez's RBI infield hit off Miguel Castro that gave the Red Sox a 5-0 lead. Gausman issued a bases-loaded walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. and surrendered a two run double to Andrew Benintendi.

Update III: Jonathan Schoop's two-run homer off Brandon Workman in the eighth reduced the lead to 5-2.