What could be scarier for the Blue Jays than one inning of Baltimore super closer Zach Britton in the American League wild-card game?

How about two innings.

“Yes (Orioles manager Buck Showalter) told us to be ready for two innings,” Britton said as the Orioles worked out in advance of the wild-card game Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre.

“Any time I get asked, that’s fine. It’s not something I haven’t done before. Roles are roles, until they’re not. You have to be ready for anything in a game like this. So just be ready when you’re number is called.”

The Orioles rarely call Britton’s number for two innings, although the left-hander did record five outs in Sunday’s wild-card clinching win over the Yankees. He has only been stretched out past one inning on two other occasions this season, including July 31 against Toronto.

With an all-or-nothing game Tuesday, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Showalter call for Britton earlier than usual, depending on the way the game plays out. When you have the best reliever in baseball, and arguably the best left-hander in the game, it’s a no-brainer.

Britton is the one clear advantage Baltimore has over the Jays. He has simply been unbeatable all season, converting all 47 save opportunities he’s inherited. He’s given up only four earned runs in 67 innings, with 74 strikeouts, 18 walks and just 38 hits allowed.

His ERA dipped below 1.00 on June 9 and has not risen above 0.70 since, winding up at 0.54.

Britton’s 98-m.p.h. sinking fastball is perhaps the most devastating pitch in the majors, meaning the Jays better put some runs on the board before the late innings.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters says Britton “has one of the most electric pitches in the game. Not many guys can throw one pitch and be as effective as he is. After playing against Mariano Rivera (the former Yankees closer, whose cutter was lights out), I didn’t think there’d be another pitcher to compare to in terms of that dominant pitch. But Zach is right there. He has that one pitch that is dominant.”

“The other thing is, he’s got a devastating slider and he doesn’t use it,” Wieters continues. “He’s got it in his back pocket. We brought it out against New York and that’s something we can go to, to put something else in the hitter’s heads.”

Besides Britton’s dominance, the Orioles’ bullpen mirrors the depth Kansas City deployed last season, when the Royals had shut down relievers from the sixth inning on and won the World Series. Baltimore has Darren O’Day and Brad Brach locking down the seventh and eighth.

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For Britton, the Orioles’ bullpen success reflects the depth of the entire lineup, one that wasn’t heavily favoured to earn a post-season berth.

“The last time we heard anything about where we’d finish was in spring training,” Britton said. “But you still have to go out and play the games. Crazy things can happen, but now that we’re here . . . I knew we had a good ball team. We’ve had a good team for a few years now. “