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No pressure or anything, Orioles, but the front office is probably continually trying to evaluate whether they should buy or sell at the trade deadline. If the team does well this weekend, maybe that'll convince them to buy. True, they have some space to make up in the standings, but plug in a real right fielder and put Chris Davis back at first base and things start looking better. Well, maybe.
On the other hand, if the offense stinks against Chris Archer, which is a likely outcome, and/or if Chris Tillman goes back to his first half ugliness, maybe we'll find the team on hugwatch with a mid-game trade working out some time this weekend. Maybe that's what should happen regardless. This is a lot less fun than following a 96-win division winner.
The lineup has gotten a bit of a shakeup tonight. Will it make a difference? Manny Machado isn't a natural leadoff hitter, but then, neither is Jimmy Paredes. And Ryan Flaherty at #2? Chris Parmelee is still on the team and still playing first base, putting Davis in right? Sigh. I'm sad now. Maybe the Orioles will make us all less sad.