Nothing endears a new Oriole quicker to the hearts of Baltimoreans than coming through in the clutch against the New York Yankees in the middle of a pennant race. This rookie second-basemen delivered two home runs last week against baseball’s Evil Empire, giving him four for the year and a .380 average versus the Yankees, according to The Baltimore Sun’s tally.
Stud of the Week for August 10-17:
Jonathan Schoop.
The Line:
Three home runs, five RBI, and a .364 batting average in five games last week.
Studliest Moment: Trailing the Yankees 2-1 with one out in the 8th inning Wednesday night, Schoop, 22, delivered a game-tying solo home run into the left field bleachers that ignited the O’s game-winning rally (capped by Adam Jones’s three-run homer).
The Clincher: In the series opener against the Yankees, Schoop led a big offensive night for the O’s with two hits, including a home run and three RBIs. By the way, Schoop has a history of delivering in the clutch: This month marks the 10th anniversary of Schoop’s Little League World Series title with his native Curacao team.
Schoop, in fact, starting at shortstop, posted two hits in the 5-2 win over the California squad and earned the save, getting the last two outs of the game on the mound. That Little League World Series win was also the first-ever for a Caribbean team.