...here in Camden Yards, despite the fact that a huge breeze just blew through the press box, right around the time Nick Markakis homered to left to lead off the seventh. That cut the Mariners' lead over the Orioles to 5-4, not long after the Mariners had obliterated the Orioles' (and Adam Loewen's) 3-0 lead after three. This is not how the latest Tejada Era was to begin. And definitely not how the Roy Oswalt Era was supposed to start. More on that later, specifically in my column tomorrow and on my podcast.

Yup, I'm back from vacation. Everybody exhale.

But as the new Tejada Era begins, another era ends. For only the second time since the turn of the century - or, more specifically, Maryland's 2000-01 season - Juan Dixon and Steve Blake will not be teammates. Blake was traded today to Milwaukee in a package that brought Jamaal Magliore to the Trail Blazers. Juan and Steve, the 2002 national championship backcourt, actually started together much of last season. But the Blazers have been clearing the way for Jarrett Jack to start at the point all summer; they traded Sebastian Telfair on draft day, and now Blake is on his way out.

According to this story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Blake likely will start for the Bucks. Dixon is probably back to coming off the bench in Portland, now that Brandon Roy is there. Juan and Steve were together for three years at Maryland, two years with the Wizards and one year in Portland (after they signed as free agents at separate times last summer). Here are the career numbers for Juan and Steve.

C'mon, isn't it refreshing to see an NBA posting on the hottest friggin' day of the summer?

Back to the new/old O's. Richie Sexson into the bleachers in right-center, off Eddy Rodriguez, solo shot to lead off the eighth. 6-4 Mariners. In the press box, it's sticky and sweaty again.

Check that. 8-4, Mariners. Kenji Johjima deep to left. Still no out. The fans are too hot to boo very hard. Oops, they're getting their energy back - Yuniesky Betancourt double to the wall in left-center, a rope.

That 4 p.m. trade deadline, they meant Hawaii time, right? As of right now, they've got 17 more minutes.