Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy spent all season last year playing with a torn labrum in his nonthrowing shoulder that affected his swing and sapped his power.
His first multi-homer game in 20 months in the Orioles' 9-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night — a victory that extended the team's best start in club history — was a sign that Hardy's power is starting to return.
Neither of Hardy's two two-run homers were blasts. At most parks, they probably would have skipped into the corner for extra bases at best. Hardy also said he was the beneficiary of some timely wind gusts that pushed the balls into the seats.