O's open second half with a win that looked familiar

In one game to start the Orioles' second half we saw a microcosm of many of the 87 games that took place in the first half.

The Orioles hit homers. The O's bullpen and defense was outstanding. Their starting rotation was not. They won. We saw that a lot in the first half.

Second baseman Jonathan Schoop didn't make the All-Star team this year, but surely he will in future years. Schoop provided the latest reason why last night when his clutch homer in the eighth off Chris Archer broke the 3-3 tie as the O's beat Tampa Bay 4-3.

You could make the case that Schoop has never played better but he was almost this good last year. Schoop played in 86 games with 321 plate appearances in 2015 and has played in 87 with 350 this year.

Schoop in 2015: .279 batting average, 306 OBP, .482 slugging, .788 OPS.
Schoop in 2016: .303 batting average, .337 OBP, .515 slugging, .852 OPS.

Schoop actually homered more often last year, hitting one every 20.3 at-bats to one every 22.0 at-bats in 2016.

Schoop's homer was his first hit of the night and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. He is batting .341 (14-for-41) during the streak. Over his past 22 games, Schoop is batting .407 (37-for-91) with nine doubles, five homers, 24 runs and 16 RBIs.

With his home run, Schoop has become the first Orioles second baseman with three 15 or more homer seasons. Brian Roberts was only other player to do that twice. Schoop has now hit 16, 15 and 15 homers the past three seasons.

Have we mentioned his defense at second base? Or that he is just 24 years old? Or that he can't be a free agent until after the 2019 season?

More notes on the Orioles:

* The Orioles have won three straight low-scoring games by scores of 3-2, 4-2 and 4-3. They have scored just 11 runs but have gone 3-0.

* The Orioles have won five of six games and are 38-26 since May 3.

* The Orioles have hit 10 homers their last five games and 52 over the past 23 games.

* Over his last 21 games, Pedro Alvarez is batting .338 with seven homers and 17 RBIs.

* J.J. Hardy is batting .387 (12-for-31) during an eight-game hitting streak with four doubles, a homer and seven RBIs.

Sedlock's second: Orioles top draft pick, right-handed pitcher Cody Sedlock out of the University of Illinois, made his second pro outing last night. Pitching for short season Single-A Aberdeen at Batavia, Sedlock went three innings allowing three hits and one run in the IronBirds' 4-2 win.

Over his first two games, he is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA. In six innings he has allowed four hits and one run with two walks and six strikeouts.