Has a four-game win streak changed the Orioles' trade deadline outlook?

Are the Orioles sellers or buyers? Are they contenders or not? Is a four-game winning streak the start of something big or just fool's gold?

A lot of questions and I guess the answers depend on which person is giving the opinion.

After his two-homer game last night, Chris Davis said the Orioles players can't let trade deadline rumors distract them from the task at hand.

"My job is to go out and play as hard as I can for the Orioles. We like the guys we have in here, but we have our work cut out for us. For us, to pay attention to stuff outside the lines, it's not going to be beneficial," he said.

With four wins in a row, the Orioles have improved to 50-49 and as they get set to play game No. 100 tonight, they are seven games out in the American League East. But they are just two games out for the second wild card spot. The Minnesota Twins lost to Pittsburgh last night and the Twins have lost seven of nine games.

Davis came up with his 10th career multi-homer game last night. He homered in the first and second innings and had two cracks at a third homer, but he grounded out twice.

Over his last seven games, Davis is batting .308 (8-for-26). Seven of his eight hits have been for extra bases with two doubles and five homers to go with 12 RBIs in a stretch that has raised his OPS from .779 to .822.

Davis said during six months of the regular season he tries to keep an even keel, no matter what the stat sheet says about his offense.

"I think so. It's such a long that season that it's easy sometimes to beat yourself up. But having to go out there day in and day out, you have to stay even keel. Enjoy the good times and grind out the bad times."

Last night's winning pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez talked about what Davis means to the team when he is bashing homers.

"We really need him," Jimenez said. "When he is hot, he makes a difference in the whole lineup. They know they can be in trouble any time they face him. He can hit anything out."

Making another start in right field last night, Davis made a nice catch in deep right to rob A.J. Pierzynski in the eighth inning.

"I like to make Jonesy (Adam Jones) laugh out there. I feel like every time they hit a fly ball, he's over there heckling me. I just ran hard after it and knew I had a little room near the wall."

After a shaky first inning, Jimenez gave up just two runs over seven innings last night. Over the past five games, O's starting pitchers are 3-0 with an ERA of 1.56 and four quality starts. They've allowed just six runs in 34 2/3 innings and have pitched seven innings or more in four of those five games.

Has the Orioles third four-game winning streak of the season changed any fan opinions? Can they still contend? Should they try to keep this team together through the trading deadline?