Adam Jones on O's injuries: "This is a true test of what a team is all about"

The Orioles played today without closer Zach Britton and now could be missing shortstop J.J. Hardy, as well. Over the last two days, they've lost two games and two important players. For how long, that is uncertain right now.

Hardy fouled a ball off his left foot today and left the game after five innings. He will have CT scan on the foot tomorrow as the X-rays showed some things the Orioles want to check on further.

Outfielder Adam Jones was asked about losing two key players.

"It's part of the game. It's part of the grind," Jones said. "Things happen. Everybody does also. So you can't say we have - everybody is going through the same thing. It's unfortunate, everybody has to go through it. This is a true test of what a team is all about. "

Today, the Orioles lost 7-1 to Chicago to split the four-game series. They had some early chances against Chris Sale, but could not break through.

"It's part of it," Jones said. "Part of the reason why he is who he is and maintains a very competitive ERA. He knows how to get himself out of those situations. Big double play. Big strikeout. That is why he is one of the game's best.

"Hey, man, they're a good team, too. They're in first place in their division also. So tip your cap and move on to the off-day and then the Yankees."

Jones was asked to size up the first month and one day of a season that has the Orioles at 14-10.

"We've had a lot of fun. As it heats up, we're going to have a lot more fun," he said.

O's starter Ubaldo Jimenez took the loss today to fall to 1-3 with a 5.20 ERA. He entered the fifth inning down just 1-0, but five runs later it was 6-0 and he was out of the game.

What changed from earlier in the game to that inning?

"Nothing changed," Jimenez said. "I think I had everything working. Just one of those innings where you shake your head and go, 'Wow, I can't believe this is happening.' Pretty much every good pitch that I threw they were able to get a base hit.

"In the fourth inning, they squared the ball, and then we got 1-2-3 right away. But in that (fifth) inning, they hit like three or four soft balls and they found a way to get a base hit. Besides walking a couple of guys there and hitting a couple of guys, I felt good. They just found a way to get hits there."

Jimenez was asked about Hardy and what his absence would mean.

"It's going to be hard," Jimenez said. "Because he is one of those guys that will do everything possible to get an out. He never gives up. It doesn't matter where the ball is. We have a team, that is what a team is for. You have to find a way for one of the guys to step up and hopefully he is not out for a long time."

For the second time this year, right-hander Vance Worley gave the Orioles a long relief outing that helped save the bullpen. He went 3 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. He stranded five Chicago runners in the sixth through the eighth.

Does he take pride in saving the 'pen?

"It's definitely not easy and I know that those guys down there are counting on any of us to go as long as we can," Worley said. "It saves them bullets and it's a long year. It's still early on and we're going to need those guys down the road.

"It's tough. Talking with a lot of long relievers, they compare it to being a guy off the bench for pinch-hitting. You really don't know when you're going to go in and when you do, you try to do as well as you can and go as long as you can. Sometimes they don't look pretty, sometimes they go really well. But it's all about making pitches and keeping the team in it as close as you can."

Worley got into last night's game, throwing 15 pitches, and had 51 pitches today. Was he surprised to be called on back-to-back days?

"I was not surprised," he said. "I was excited to get the ball in my hand again after last night. I felt great. Ball was coming out well, everything was doing what it needed to do. Made things interesting a couple innings, but I made some big pitches to get out of it. And the defense behind me was good as usual."

In his two starts this year, Worley's ERA was 5.06, but now he has pitched seven scoreless innings over four relief outings.

Manny Machado went 2-for-4 today and 8-for-17 in this series with two doubles, a homer, four runs scored and five RBIs. He is batting .350 and led all American League hitters with 33 hits in April.