masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOrioles shortstop J.J. Hardy led off the bottom of the sixth inning with his 23rd home run of the season, increasing the lead to 7-1.

The Orioles have hit 173 home runs this season to lead the majors. They’ve also allowed 163 homers, tying them with the Blue Jays for most in the majors.

Interesting, right?

Maybe more than you realized.

According to STATS, if the Orioles finish in the lead in homers hit and allowed, they will be the first team in either league to do so since the 1950…Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy led off the bottom of the sixth inning with his 23rd home run of the season, increasing the lead to 7-1.

The Orioles have hit 173 home runs this season to lead the majors. They’ve also allowed 163 homers, tying them with the Blue Jays for most in the majors.

Interesting, right?

Maybe more than you realized.

According to STATS, if the Orioles finish in the lead in homers hit and allowed, they will be the first team in either league to do so since the 1950 Brooklyn Dodgers (194/163), and the first American League team since the 1932 Philadelphia Athletics (172/112).

The Blue Jays had 157 home runs before today to rank second.

Manny Machado has produced his 47th multi-hit game today with two singles. He also has two sacrifice flies.

T.J. McFarland has retired all six batters that he’s faced, with two strikeouts.

Today’s attendance: 33,820. The season total is 1,990,289, so the Orioles will reach the two million mark in their next home game on Sept. 5 against the White Sox.

Update: Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer off McFarland in the top of the eighth, but Nick Markakis answered with a solo shot off former Orioles farmhand Pat Neshek in the bottom half.

Markakis hadn’t homered since June 24. He just ended a 51-game drought.

It’s been quite a drought-ending day for Markakis.

Hardy followed with a single, leaving him a triple short of the cycle.

Update II: Nate McLouth hit a two-run homer in the eighth and Miguel Gonzalez retired the A’s in order in the ninth in the Orioles’ 10-3 win.

Gonzalez isn’t auditioning for the closer’s job. Just getting in some work before his start Friday night in the Bronx.

The Orioles improve to 70-59 this season and 13-6 in the finale of a three-game series to determine the winner. They’re two games behind Oakland in the wild card race.