Hardy picks up the homer pace

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

August 11, 2011, 2:25pm

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J.J. Hardy continues to hit home runs at a pretty amazing pace. He now has 21 on the year and that is tied for 11th best in the AL with teammate Adam Jones. Mark Reynolds, by the way, is tied for fourth, with 26. Hardy is second in the majors in homers by a shortstop to Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki, who has hit 23. But while Tulo averages a homer every 19.0 at-bats, Hardy has hit one every 15.95 at-bats. His 21 homers are the most by an AL East shortstop since Miguel Tejada hit 24 for the Orioles in 2006. Hardy has hit three in his last four games and seven over his past 13 games. His homer pace has picked up since the All-Star game. He hit one, on average, every 18.2 at-bats before the break and has hit one for every 12.3 at bats since the game. On the year, he ranks 8th in the AL with a homer every 15.95 at-bats. That homer rate ranks ahead of Carlos Quentin, Evan Longoria, Robinson Cano, David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, Miguel Cabrera, Kevin Youkilis and sudden slugger Jacoby Ellsbury. Yeah, that's pretty impressive.