Schoop honored to be in Alomar's company

Jonathan Schoop dropped an RBI single into right-center field last night that increased a lead the Orioles would hand back the next inning, recapture in the bottom half, pad the following inning, lose again the next inning and ...

So much happened in a 7-6 win over the Mariners, including Chris Davis' tie-breaking double in the seventh, that Schoop's soft single no longer resonated. But it produced his team-leading 96th RBI and extended his record.

Schoop's home run Saturday afternoon in Boston gave him 95 RBIs and sole possession of first place on the Orioles' single-season list for second basemen. He was tied with Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, who drove in 94 runs during the 1996 season, his first with the club after signing as a free agent.

Manager Buck Showalter referenced how Schoop stood in "real good company."

"There's not a better second baseman all-around than Robbie Alomar was," Showalter said after the game, "but there's a chance someday they'll be talking about Jonathan like that."

The idea is too much for Schoop to fathom at this stage of his career. He's never met Alomar, but he certainly knows all about the 12-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner.

"Oh yeah, of course, Alomar," Schoop said, his eyes widening. "I watched him play. I liked his game, and to break his record is something special, but I never was imagining at the beginning of the season that I'm going to do that. I never put that in my mind, that I want to break the record. I just want to be there for my team and contribute for my team and try to win, and if I get those goals, then that's even better."

Schoop had no clue about his pursuit of Alomar's record until hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh told him that a run-scoring single in the top of the fifth inning Friday night in Boston left the players tied at 94.

"And then I knew with the home run that I broke it," Schoop said.

"It was good, especially because we won. It was something special for me."

Alomar spent three seasons in Baltimore and the first was his finest, with a .328/.411/.527 slash line, 43 doubles, four triples, 22 home runs, 94 RBIs and a 5.3 WAR in 153 games. The last RBI came in the last regular season game on Sept. 28 in Toronto, a home run off Blue Jays reliever Paul Spoljaric with two outs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 2-2 tie.

Schoop loved to watch Alomar play and wanted to be like him, though the flash in the field is hard to mimic.

"Of course, of course," Schoop said. "He's the best."

Another Orioles starter will be working on extra rest tonight, though five days isn't much for Dylan Bundy. This guy can do 10 or 11 standing on his head.

The ball breaks the other way, but he's adaptable to everything.

Bundy has a career 3.66 ERA in 11 starts on five days. Tonight marks his first career start against the Mariners and his third appearance. He's allowed two earned runs (three total) and six hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Jean Segura is the only Seattle player with more than two plate appearances against Bundy. He's 1-for-2 with a double in three trips.

Nelson Cruz and Danny Valencia also are 1-for-2 with a double.

Erasmo Ramirez is 1-1 with a 3.76 ERA in five starts since the Mariners acquired him from the Rays on July 28. He's allowed four earned runs (five total) in 18 innings in his last three starts.

The Orioles have seen Ramirez twice in relief this season with Tampa Bay, and he tossed a combined seven scoreless innings. He's 2-3 with a 2.98 ERA and 0.862 WHIP in 16 career appearances against the Orioles, including six starts, and 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 0.955 WHIP in eight games (three starts) at Camden Yards.

Davis is 6-for-19 (.316) with two doubles and two home runs against Ramirez. Mark Trumbo is 1-for-20 (.050) with six strikeouts.

Note: Shortstop J.J. Hardy went 2-for-4 with his first home run last night for Triple-A Norfolk.