The role of closer holds little glory on an everyday basis. The spotlight usually shines brightest following failure, like after a blown save that turns victory into defeat.
So it usually takes a season like the one Orioles left-hander Zach Britton is having — one where he's going into the final two months flirting with perfection — for the baseball world to take notice of his success and to mention his name as a legitimate candidate for the American League Cy Young Award, which rarely goes to relievers.
But inside the Orioles clubhouse, Britton's season isn't taken for granted.