With Saturday's 8-2 victory against the Blue Jays, the Orioles won their 69th game of the season. The Birds' 69th win in 2011 came on the last day of the season.

It's a sign of how far the team has come this year, and how much expectations have been changed as well. Make no mistake, 69 wins is not a milestone. There is a real difference in the temperature of the club. Even if many people are surprised the Orioles are winning, the team's players aren't.

The Orioles are, at least today, tied with Oakland for the second wild-card spot, and are four games behind the Yankees in the American League East standings. The Orioles aren't just trying to be better than last season. They're trying to make the playoffs. Getting to 81 wins seems like a foregone conclusion for the club now.

This is a team on the move with adjusted, playoff-driven expectations.

Posted Aug. 26, 2012