Clubhouse comments from Simon and Hardy after Monday's loss

Alfredo Simon gave his team a chance to win, but didn't get many runs to work with tonight against the Yankees. He took the loss despite allowing just four hits and three runs over seven innings. "I just felt great tonight," Simon said. "I gave up that run in the first inning after walking (Curtis) Granderson. After that, I tried to keep the game as close as I can to try to win. Today, we didn't get a lot of hits, that happened again. I lost the game, but didn't get a lot of support tonight, but try to do better next time. "I put everything I've got out there to win the game. Just need to do better next time." Simon falls to 4-7 with an ERA of 4.26. He gave up a two-run homer to Nick Swisher in the fourth. "It was a curveball in the middle," Simon said. "I just tried to throw the first pitch for a strike and I think he waited for a curveball and got a good swing on it." Simon has now given up just seven hits and four runs in his last two starts over 15 innings. "I just feel more comfortable right now," he said. "All my pitches are working really good. My fastball, my two-seam, is pretty good right now. I know the guys will help me out next time." He realizes every start this late in the year is important as he tries to convince the staff that he should be a candidate to be in next year's rotation. "I know I can be a starter and they know too," Simon said. "I can be a starter here. I try to do the best I can to show them I can be a starter here. I want to give 100 percent and I know they will be happy because I put everything I've got to win the game." On offense, the Orioles got just two hits in six innings off New York starter Freddy Garcia. "He was hitting his spots with a lot of different pitches," J.J. Hardy said. "That split was really nasty and he hit his spot with his fastball and he was real tough. Simon battled, he threw great but we came out with a loss." Hardy's solo homer in the eighth off David Robertson was the first homer Robertson gave up in 68 2/3 innings. It was also Hardy's 26th of the year to tie his career high set with Milwaukee in 2007. "It is just nice to do what I feel like I am capable of doing," he said, after extending his hitting streak to 12 games.