Orioles Lose 2nd in a row; the trade deadline and Penn State...

After a successful swing in Cleveland where they won three out of four games, the Orioles returned home to Camden Yards to face the rival Tampa Bay Rays.
Sadly, the Orioles could not defeat them on Tuesday night as they fell to them, 3-1. They once again got a quality start from Wei-Yin Chen, who went 6 2/3 innings and started the game on a roll; however, the Rays got him in the fifth inning as Brooks Conrad hit a two-run homer and they added another run in the sixth inning.
Overall, Chen provided the Orioles with what they needed: good pitching. Sadly, the offense did not reciprocate. However, he walked a few guys and they came back to bite him via the runs scored. That cost him and the Orioles the game on Tuesday night.
Baltimore only mustered a run off Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson (who earned the win) – and that came via an Adam Jones homer in the 4th inning that put them ahead briefly, 1-0. They only got three hits off Rays pitching, and when runners got on base, they blew opportunities.

They had runners on base in the ninth – in fact, two – off walks by Tampa closer Fernando Rodney (who earned the save); however, he struck the final two batters to end the game.
The Orioles are 51-46 and are 1.5 games back in the wild card hunt , and there are now four teams – Detroit, Oakland, the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels. They trail the Yankees by seven games in the American League East. They have lost two games in a row, after winning five straight.
That all being said, we as fans are hoping for Dan Duquette to make a move and soon. He let the media know that they will be buyers at the deadline; however, who will they get – if at all possible?
They have less than a week left, and while the pitching situation has stabilized this week, they still need another arm in rotation. With some of more prominent names coming off the board (and soon) – like Wandy Rodriguez, Ryan Dempster, and several others – Baltimore has to strike.

However, they do need a bat as well. Then again, the Orioles do have some pop in their lineup, but they do not steal, nor are a contact type of team. I do wish they could acquire a hitter that is more patient at the plate, but I think the priority should be getting a front-line starter.
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