Before we join the crowd in prematurely declaring the winners and losers in the rash of trades leading up to baseball's Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, let's emphasize the fact the Orioles are right about where they belong.
At least that was the thinking six weeks ago, when the conspiracy theorists were convinced the schedule would do them in. Not a whole lot has changed. The Orioles' rugged 10-game, three-city road trip to Chicago, Oakland and San Francisco Aug. 5-14 will determine the Orioles' position heading into the last seven weeks of the season.
Of the three contenders in the American League East, the Orioles have the toughest schedule based on opponents' won-lost record, but they will not play a game outside the Eastern Time Zone during that period. After the upcoming road trip, the Orioles will play 25 of their next 39 games at Camden Yards, leading up to a final six-game road trip to Toronto and New York.
