Well, that sucked. The Birds usually beat up on the Gnats, so hopefully they can do some of that over the next few days, because it certainly feels like the season is slipping away, doesn’t it? Plenty can happen over the next 39 games, but at some point this team will need to start winning more than they lose, or you can stick a fork in them.

Let’s hit the links.

O’s Should Look to Deal Strength for Depth

Man, look. I LOVE Zach Britton. I blare the AC/DC from my laptop whenever he comes into a game. I wear my Great Britton shirt proudly. I taunt other teams’ Twitter accounts with the lyrics to “For Those About to Rock.” I don’t want him to leave. However. It sure would be nice to see the Birds deal an asset while it’s at its peak for once, and that’s just what they have the chance to do this winter with Britton. After seeing what the Yankees got for Andrew Miller & Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Stetka thinks the Orioles should look far and wide for the right deal this offseason.

Yasiel Puig Doesn’t Need a Change of Scenery, but the O’s Should Give Him One Anyway

Patrick Dougherty of Camden Depot dreams of Puig in orange and black. After Chris Davis’ flub in right field yesterday basically cost the O’s the game, it’s tough to not dream of actual outfielders in the Birds’ corner outfield spots, at least.

The Struggling Rotation Doesn’t Make Duquette a Bad GM

There’s a very loud vocal minority of O’s fans at the moment who are eager to hand Dan Duquette his walking papers because of his failure to solidify the rotation last offseason (or at the trade deadline – thanks Wade Miley!) However, those folks tend to ignore his successes when it comes to acquiring pitching, and Mark Brown of Camden Chat goes through some pains to remind everyone of them.

Chris Dickerson to Sign Minor League Deal with Orioles

Remember what I said about wishing we had actual outfielders playing the outfield? It seems as though Chris Dickerson was brought in to fill just that role, and he’ll be called up September 1. I’ll forever love that guy for this:

Stephen Strasburg Has a Problem

The O’s face Stephen Strasburg tonight, so an article about him being bad lately (by Corrine Landry of FanGraphs) should provide us with some tentative hope. His change-up hasn’t been getting the results that it used to, and hopefully the Birds can continue that trend.

And in Ravens News

Preseason Grades: Offense

Defense

RSR’s Filmstudy professor Ken McKusick with the most extensive look at the Ravens-Colts game you’re likely to find anywhere.