Can the Orioles withstand the loss of J.J. Hardy?

Can the Orioles withstand the loss of J.J. Hardy?
It says here that the Orioles will be all right playing the next six to eight weeks without shortstop J.J. Hardy. That would not be something several other teams may be able to say or do when you consider how good Hardy is at shortstop. And beyond his considerable defensive skills, his quiet leadership will be missed on the field. He's a rock for both Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado. But he can still be a leader and mentor for that pair while on the disabled list. The Orioles are fortunate...
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At 14-10, the Orioles are on a pace to win 94 games

At 14-10, the Orioles are on a pace to win 94 games
The Orioles split a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox, the team with the best record in the American League. Encouraging on one hand, but on the other not so much, since they won the first two games of the series. On Saturday night the Orioles were six outs away from taking the first three in the series. But we know what happened. Darren O'Day had a rare bad outing and Zach Britton got hurt. In the first two games and seven innings of the series, the Orioles outscored the White Sox...
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Adam Jones on O's injuries: "This is a true test of what a team is all about"

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...
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Chicago gets five in fifth off Ubaldo Jimenez to split four-game series

Chicago gets five in fifth off Ubaldo Jimenez to split four-game series
To beat a top pitcher like Chris Sale today, the Orioles would likely need a very strong outing from their starting pitcher. For a few innings today, Ubaldo Jimenez was indeed holding the White Sox at bay. But then they scored five runs in an ugly fifth for the right-hander. Chicago went on to beat the Orioles 7-1 today at Camden Yards to split this four-game series between American League division leaders. The Orioles fall to 14-10 overall and 9-3 at home. Jimenez pulled off an escape act in...
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O's game blog: O's face Chris Sale in White Sox series finale

O's game blog: O's face Chris Sale in White Sox series finale
Had the Orioles won last night, today they would be looking for their first four-game home sweep of the Chicago White Sox since 1990. Instead, they merely need to beat Chris Sale to win the series. That figures to be tough, indeed. Sale is 5-0 with a 1.66 ERA this year in five starts. Over 38 innings he has allowed just 21 hits and eight runs (seven earned) with five walks and 32 strikeouts. Opponent batters are hitting just .159 off him. If those numbers are not impressive enough, over his...
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Hyun Soo Kim talks about his improvement at the plate

Hyun Soo Kim talks about his improvement at the plate
Hyun Soo Kim, the first Korean-born player in Orioles history, is now batting .600 at 9-for-15 on the season. He has made four starts and gotten multiple hits in three of those games. A spring training that ended with the Orioles asking him to accept an assignment to the minors suddenly seems a long time ago. Not only did Kim go 3-for-4 last night, but he smoked a double to right field in the third inning. It was his first major league extra-base hit. Kim today explained the difference between...
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Another look at Saturday's tough loss, plus minors notes

Another look at Saturday's tough loss, plus minors notes
When the Orioles take a one-run lead to the eighth inning, they usually feel pretty good about getting the win in that game. But this time, Darren O'Day gave up the lead and Zach Britton got injured. Not at all what the Orioles had in mind when they took the field leading the Chicago White Sox 5-4 in the eighth last night. The Orioles had been 10-0 in 2016 when leading after seven innings. Seeing the bullpen give it up and have its worst night of the year was about as strange as seeing Manny...
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Darren O'Day on tonight's loss and Zach Britton's injury (plus other clubhouse quotes)

Darren O'Day on tonight's loss and Zach Britton's injury (plus other clubhouse quotes)
It was the sight the Orioles did not want to see: their All-Star closer walking gingerly off the field tonight in the top of the ninth inning. Zach Britton suffered a sprained left ankle while trying to field a bunt single by White Sox leadoff hitter Adam Eaton. For now, Britton's status is day-to-day until the Orioles find out more about the injury on Sunday. Britton was getting treatment after the game and not available for interviews. Right-hander Darren O'Day allowed three runs in the...
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Jose Abreu's single in ninth lifts Chicago to wild 8-7 win at Camden Yards

Jose Abreu's single in ninth lifts Chicago to wild 8-7 win at Camden Yards
The Orioles lost a tough game tonight to the Chicago White Sox and also saw their All-Star closer walk off the field with an apparent leg injury. They've had better nights at Camden Yards. Zach Britton came on for the ninth in a 7-7 tie. After two strikeouts, he allowed a bunt single up the first base line to Adam Eaton. Britton fielded the ball and tried to toss it directly from his glove. He was later limping and left with head athletic trainer Richie Bancells. That brought Vance Worley in,...
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O's game blog: Orioles look to run win streak to four against Chicago

O's game blog: Orioles look to run win streak to four against Chicago
There are a few ups and downs in a long season and the Orioles offense can certainly attest to that. In the last four games of the Orioles' road trip that ended on Wednesday, their offense produced just five runs. But in the first two games of this series against the Chicago White Sox, the Orioles have scored 16 runs on 23 hits. Can the O's keep it going tonight and take the first three games of their series against Chicago? The White Sox brought an American League-best 16-6 record to Camden...
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Brad Brach on his rare misstep and the bullpen's strong start

Brad Brach on his rare misstep and the bullpen's strong start
Orioles reliever Brad Brach has been so good this year that when something doesn't go his way, it almost catches you off guard. The right-hander took an ERA of 0.68 and opponent average against of .095 to the mound last night in the seventh inning. The Orioles were holding a 3-2 lead on the Chicago White Sox. Second baseman Brett Lawrie, whose error had cost his team two innings earlier, hit a 2-2 pitch out to left field to tie the game. It was a rare misstep for Brach, who quickly recovered...
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Zach Britton's take on Mike Wright and that diving play for last out

Zach Britton's take on Mike Wright and that diving play for last out
Orioles relief pitcher Zach Britton knows a little something about being a young and promising starting pitcher. He was one once and now is the Orioles' All-Star closer. After he got the final three outs last night as the O's beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3, I asked him if he has seen right-hander Mike Wright make progress in recent starts and in what ways. "I think the biggest thing with him and (Tyler) Wilson, too, you are watching now a more mature pitcher," Britton said. "When they get...
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Nolan Reimold on the bunt sign that never came, plus other clubhouse quotes

Nolan Reimold on the bunt sign that never came, plus other clubhouse quotes
Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold said he thought he might get a bunt sign. In the Chicago clubhouse, White Sox starting pitcher Carlos Rodon said he thought Reimold would, as well. But Rodon threw the pitch with two on and none out in the Orioles seventh and there was no bunt. Batting in a 3-3 tie, Reimold hit an opposite-field three-run homer to right to give the Orioles a 6-3 win over the White Sox. Reimold looked for that bunt sign that never came. "Then, you know, just regular approach,"...
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Reimold's tiebreaking three-run homer lifts O's over White Sox

Reimold's tiebreaking three-run homer lifts O's over White Sox
After seeing a 3-1 lead disappear tonight over the sixth and seventh innings and turn into a 3-3 tie, the Orioles moved quickly to get back in front. Their old friend the longball showed up just in time. Nolan Reimold's three-run homer to right snapped the 3-3 tie and lifted the Orioles to a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox at chilly Camden Yards. The Sox came to Camden Yards with a American League-best 16-6 record, but the O's have taken the first two games of the four-game series. The...
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O's game blog: It's Mike Wright against Carlos Rodon at Camden Yards

O's game blog: It's Mike Wright against Carlos Rodon at Camden Yards
After hitting just three home runs over an eight-game stretch, the Orioles hit three in one game last night. They beat the Chicago White Sox 10-2 on Thursday to start a four-game series and 10-game homestand. The Orioles' 31 homers rank fourth in the majors behind Arizona (36), St. Louis (33) and Colorado (33). The Orioles are 6-2 when they hit two or more homers. At 13-8, the Orioles have spent each day of the season in or tied for first place. Their 7-0 start made the Orioles the first...
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Adam Jones on the Marvin Miller award presentation and his offense so far

Adam Jones on the Marvin Miller award presentation and his offense so far
In a pregame presentation this evening, Orioles' outfielder Adam Jones will receive the prestigious Players Choice Award as 2015 Marvin Miller Man of the Year. Jones' teammate and Orioles player representative Darren O'Day will make the presentation. Jones was selected via a secret ballot of all major leaguers. The award is named in honor of the Major League Baseball Players Association's first executive director and is given annually to the player who inspires others through his on-field...
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A few stats, quotes and notes on O's impressive home record

A few stats, quotes and notes on O's impressive home record
The Orioles' win last night over Chicago improved their home record to 8-1. That is the best home record in the major leagues. Kansas City, at 8-3, has the second-best American League home record. The Orioles have pitched well at home this year with an ERA of 2.09 and a .219 batting average against. They have outscored their opponents 42-21 and out-homered them 13-6 at Camden Yards, where they have a team batting average of .299. The Orioles hit three homers in last night's 10-2 win. Chris...
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Machado on his grand slam and more, plus other clubhouse quotes

Machado on his grand slam and more, plus other clubhouse quotes
The Orioles were already leading the Chicago White Sox by four runs when Manny Machado batted against Jake Petricka with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. He looked to put a jolt into the ball and he did. Machado hit his second career grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs in the Orioles' 10-2 win over the White Sox. Beating the team with the best record in the league was not a bad way to start a 10-game homestand. "Just going up there being aggressive," Machado said of his...
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Machado with a grand slam as O's rout Chicago 10-2

Machado with a grand slam as O's rout Chicago 10-2
Orioles third baseman Manny Machado had a rare run of four straight games without a hit. He ended that tonight. And the Orioles ended the Chicago White Sox's six-game winning streak. The Sox entered with an American League best 16-6 record and a team ERA of 2.24. But they allowed a season-high in runs tonight as the O's beat Chicago 10-2 to start a four-game series and 10-game homestand. The Orioles had scored just five runs their last four games but broke out big tonight. They hit three...
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O's game blog: Tyler Wilson on the mound in series opener

O's game blog: Tyler Wilson on the mound in series opener
Since scoring eight runs in a win at Kansas City on Saturday night, the Orioles have scored just one, zero, one and three in their last four games. As they try to break out on offense, they begin a 10-game homestand tonight against the team with the best pitching so far in the American League. The Orioles host the 16-6 Chicago White Sox to start a four-game series. Chicago's 2.24 team ERA leads the American League by a wide margin. Tampa Bay is next at 3.20. The White Sox lead the AL in...
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