masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgTalk about a poor start to the day.

The Orioles find out shortly before the first pitch that shortstop J.J. Hardy has a sprained left thumb, forcing him out of the lineup. And the Cardinals score twice off Kevin Gausman in the top of the first inning.

Not exactly how the Orioles drew it up.

We won’t know the severity of Hardy’s injury and how many games he could miss until we meet later with manager Buck Showalter. It obviously depends on the severity of the sprain.

It’s not his…Talk about a poor start to the day.

The Orioles find out shortly before the first pitch that shortstop J.J. Hardy has a sprained left thumb, forcing him out of the lineup. And the Cardinals score twice off Kevin Gausman in the top of the first inning.

Not exactly how the Orioles drew it up.

We won’t know the severity of Hardy’s injury and how many games he could miss until we meet later with manager Buck Showalter. It obviously depends on the severity of the sprain.

It’s not his throwing hand, but he still needs to grip a bat.

gausman-pitching-white-sidebar.pngGausman threw 37 pitches in the top of the first and T.J. McFarland began to get loose in the bullpen. The Cardinals bailed out Gausman when Matt Adams tried to score on Oscar Taveras’ fly ball to medium center field.

Bad idea.

Jones made the catch and cut down Adams by a mile for the Orioles’ 28th outfield assist. Jones has five of them.

The first three batters singled off Gausman, and Matt Carpenter scored on Adams’ fielder’s choice bouncer. Gausman had a shot at the ball and could have thrown home, but he didn’t get a glove on it.

Jhonny Peralta dumped an RBI single into center field to increase the lead to 2-0, and Jon Jay walked before Taveras flied to Jones.

Nick Markakis reached on an infield single in the bottom of the first, leaving him 65 hits behind Boog Powell for fifth on the club’s all-time list. I’m still counting.

Manny Macahdo singled, Adam Jones grounded into a force at second and Nelson Cruz doubled to left field for his 80th RBI of the season.

The Orioles stranded runners on second and third, as Chris Davis and Delmon Young struck out.

Young moved up one spot in the order after Hardy was scratched.

Update: Gausman has thrown 79 pitches in three innings, and the Orioles trail 3-1.

Gausman struck out three batters in the third, but he also gave up a single to Kolten Wong, walked Jhonny Peralta with two outs and allowed an RBI single to Jon Jay.

Markakis singled to lead off the bottom of the third. He’s 64 hits behind Powell for fifth on the all-time list.

Markakis also has 427 multi-hit games to give him sole possession of fourth place on the club’s all-time list. He passed Brady Anderson.