Hardy leaves game after Hundley ties it (O's lose 6-4)
By Roch Kubatko
Another Oriole has gone to the trainers room with a physical ailment.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy left today's game after the seventh inning with a spasm in his lower back. An update will be made available after the final out.
Hardy reached in the bottom of the seventh on Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe's throwing error and scored on Nick Hundley's two-out, game-tying home run to left field.
Hardy missed five games in April with lower-back spasms and also has been treated for hamstring and thumb injuries. He routinely performs exercises before games to stretch out and loosen his back.
Ryan Flaherty is playing shortstop in Hardy's absence.
Steve Pearce remains day-to-day with a strained right abdominal muscle. Catcher Matt Wieters and third baseman Manny Machado underwent season-ending surgeries.
Hundley hadn't homered since Aug. 19.
Chris Davis singled with one out, Hardy reached on the error and Jimmy Paredes hit into a force at home. Hundley followed with his fourth home run - at the same time that I sat here wondering whether Alejandro De Aza should pinch-hit.
Update: The Twins scored three runs in the eighth to take a 6-3 lead.
Jimmy Paredes' error allowed Danny Santana to reach and put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Gausman left after striking out Brian Dozier, but Joe Mauer delivered a two-run single on the first pitch thrown by Andrew Miller.
Vargas followed with an RBI single.
Gausman was charged with five runs (four earned) and five hits in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He walked two, struck out seven and threw a wild pitch. He threw 103 pitches, 70 for strikes.
Evan Meek will work the ninth.
Update II: The Twins avoid a four-games sweep with today's 6-4 victory over the Orioles before 33,156 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles topped the 2 million mark in attendance with 13 regular-season games remaining.
Nelson Cruz led off the ninth with his 36th home run to account for the final margin.
The Orioles are 79-57 overall and lead the American League East by 8 1/2 games.
Hardy reached in the bottom of the seventh on Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe's throwing error and scored on Nick Hundley's two-out, game-tying home run to left field.
Hardy missed five games in April with lower-back spasms and also has been treated for hamstring and thumb injuries. He routinely performs exercises before games to stretch out and loosen his back.
Ryan Flaherty is playing shortstop in Hardy's absence.
Steve Pearce remains day-to-day with a strained right abdominal muscle. Catcher Matt Wieters and third baseman Manny Machado underwent season-ending surgeries.
Hundley hadn't homered since Aug. 19.
Chris Davis singled with one out, Hardy reached on the error and Jimmy Paredes hit into a force at home. Hundley followed with his fourth home run - at the same time that I sat here wondering whether Alejandro De Aza should pinch-hit.
Update: The Twins scored three runs in the eighth to take a 6-3 lead.
Jimmy Paredes' error allowed Danny Santana to reach and put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Gausman left after striking out Brian Dozier, but Joe Mauer delivered a two-run single on the first pitch thrown by Andrew Miller.
Vargas followed with an RBI single.
Gausman was charged with five runs (four earned) and five hits in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He walked two, struck out seven and threw a wild pitch. He threw 103 pitches, 70 for strikes.
Evan Meek will work the ninth.
Update II: The Twins avoid a four-games sweep with today's 6-4 victory over the Orioles before 33,156 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles topped the 2 million mark in attendance with 13 regular-season games remaining.
Nelson Cruz led off the ninth with his 36th home run to account for the final margin.
The Orioles are 79-57 overall and lead the American League East by 8 1/2 games.
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