Showalter on Britton: "There's nobody out there better than him"

The Orioles are starting Yovani Gallardo, Chris Tillman and Dylan Bundy for their three-game series against the White Sox that begins Friday night in Chicago.

Manager Buck Showalter is pushing back Gallardo, who was listed as Thursday's starter against the Rangers before the Orioles traded for Wade Miley. He also wanted to give Tillman an extra day of rest.

Former Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez is starting Friday for the White Sox. He's 2-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts, but he's registered quality starts in his last six outings.

The White Sox will start Carlos Rodon on Saturday and James Shields on Sunday.

Showalter started off today's media session with an update on outfielder Joey Rickard, who's on the disabled list with a thumb ligament injury.

"He' doing good," Showalter said. "I don't think it's going to be any earlier. They kept him in the splint. The swelling's gone. It's very similar to the one (Dustin) Pedroia had. The one (Trevor) Story just had required surgery because he tore it all the way off. Joey's wasn't, so I think we'll get him back sometime this year. It's just a matter how quickly. It's going to be hard to think it would be before September."

As I wrote this morning, Rickard will go to Sarasota next week while the Orioles are on the West Coast.

Closer Zach Britton warmed up last night before the Orioles tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth inning to remove him from a save situation. His 32 consecutive saves tie him with the Tigers' Willie Hernandez (1984) for the most by a left-hander to start a season.

Britton has recorded 105 saves in fewer than three full seasons. The first came on May 15, 2014 after he replaced Tommy Hunter as closer.

"He was pretty good from the get-go," Showalter said. "He's just got great presentation now. I'd picky telling you he's got to improve on this. I don't think I've seen many guys take to it that quickly. I think he's learned little things like last night, knowing if we score a run he's not in the game. Giving an honest evaluation about where he is physically and everything. Saving his bullets.

"He's worked hard on his breaking ball. There are going to be some nights when that third time out there he's probably going to need to go to a secondary pitch. Kind of knowing who he is, and he never gives in. He just doesn't give in.

"There's always a debate. You could throw four or five guys in the same hat, but there's nobody out there better than him."

Britton didn't have a clear role before inheriting the ninth inning. He was out of options and out of chances in the rotation. The first step was adapting to the bullpen. Then came the closer's job.

"His personality fit it so much," Showalter said.

"There were nights when you'd see for four or five innings as a starter he'd just sit there and pitch with his sinker. With all that being said, nobody knew, nobody's that smart. I've said that 100 times about a lot of things. You just reach back with the experience you've had with other guys, the personality.

"First of all, he had really good stuff. Really good stuff."

Being a left-hander also elevated Britton as a closer.

"Those guys negate the left-handed bats late in a game that come off the bench," Showalter said. "A lot of these ballparks are left-handed friendly. And it holds runners. It does a lot of great things to have a left-handed closer. That's why there are so few of them. It's hard to come up with 10 of them in the last 20 years."

Showalter named former Orioles Randy Myers and B.J. Ryan. We could go back further and include Tippy Martinez.