Orioles win in Cleveland; the trade dealine and moves...

The Orioles pulled out another victory as they defeated the Cleveland Indians last night on the road, 3-1. They were  aided by Jim Thome – who hit his second homer as an Oriole and 611th in his career – along with a Ryan Flaherty homer in the eighth, plus the arm of Chris Tillman.

Tillman was probably the biggest story in the game. After being killed by the Twins earlier in the week, Tillman stepped up and pitched well, going 6 2/3 innings and only giving up a run – off an early homer by leadoff hitter for the Indians, Shin-Soo Choo.

No one knew what would happen with Tillman after his scary start in Minnesota, but he showed his ability on the mound and kept the Cleveland offense at bay. The bullpen did the rest and closer Jim Johnson got his 29th save of the season.

The Orioles have won four in a row and are now 50-44. They trail the Yankees by seven games in the American League East, and are in a four way tie for the American League wild card with the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland A’s (did they ever come from nowhere), and the Chicago White Sox.

They were struggling for a good bit in July and has many wondering if they were fading and all falling into old habits; however, the concerns might have been premature. The team still has several flaws, but they are somehow in the race for a wild card spot and have hung in there for nearly two-thirds of the season.

At this point, the Orioles are very much into the playoff hunt and one has to wonder what – if any moves – will be made at the deadline for the Orioles. With the trade deadline coming soon, they need perhaps another bat or arm to give them an edge.

While the Orioles do need to make a move – for example, a guy like Chase Headley might work and be a viable part for the future – the big picture needs to be looked at.

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