Hardy homers to give Orioles lead (Cruz homers)
By Roch Kubatko
CHICAGO - The Orioles are 46-10 when they score first, giving them the best winning percentage in the majors at .821.
They scored first tonight.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy led off the top of the second inning with his seventh home run of the season to hand the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
Hardy pulled a 94 mph fastball from White Sox starter Chris Sale into the left field seats for his first homer since Aug. 8 at Camden Yards. It traveled an estimated distance of 377 feet.
Hardy is 3-for-6 lifetime against Sale, who's surrendered eight home runs in 133 innings this season.
In 13 games this month, Hardy is 18-for-44 (.409) with four doubles, three homers, 11 RBIs and nine runs scored.
Nick Markakis led off the game with a single, leaving him 54 hits behind Boog Powell for fifth place on the Orioles' all-time list. I'm still counting.
Bud Norris has retired the first six Chicago batters. He threw 11 pitches in the first inning and only six in the second.
Update: Norris has thrown 40 pitches in four innings, retiring 11 of 12 batters, and the Orioles have given him a 2-0 lead.
Markakis singled again with two outs in the fifth and scored on Steve Pearce's second hit of the night, a double to center field.
Markakis extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Pearce has four hits in the last two games.
Pearce was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base on Adam Jones' infield hit. Gordon Beckham made a diving stop and fired home.
The play was reviewed and the call stood.
Update II: Nelson Cruz led off the sixth with his 32nd home run, one short of his career high, to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead.
Sale hadn't allowed two homers in the same game all season. He's permitted more than two runs for only the sixth time in 20 starts.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy led off the top of the second inning with his seventh home run of the season to hand the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
Hardy pulled a 94 mph fastball from White Sox starter Chris Sale into the left field seats for his first homer since Aug. 8 at Camden Yards. It traveled an estimated distance of 377 feet.
Hardy is 3-for-6 lifetime against Sale, who's surrendered eight home runs in 133 innings this season.
In 13 games this month, Hardy is 18-for-44 (.409) with four doubles, three homers, 11 RBIs and nine runs scored.
Nick Markakis led off the game with a single, leaving him 54 hits behind Boog Powell for fifth place on the Orioles' all-time list. I'm still counting.
Bud Norris has retired the first six Chicago batters. He threw 11 pitches in the first inning and only six in the second.
Update: Norris has thrown 40 pitches in four innings, retiring 11 of 12 batters, and the Orioles have given him a 2-0 lead.
Markakis singled again with two outs in the fifth and scored on Steve Pearce's second hit of the night, a double to center field.
Markakis extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Pearce has four hits in the last two games.
Pearce was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base on Adam Jones' infield hit. Gordon Beckham made a diving stop and fired home.
The play was reviewed and the call stood.
Update II: Nelson Cruz led off the sixth with his 32nd home run, one short of his career high, to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead.
Sale hadn't allowed two homers in the same game all season. He's permitted more than two runs for only the sixth time in 20 starts.
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