Schoop on the game-ending double play and other clubhouse quotes

Second baseman Jonathan Schoop said that was about as exciting an ending to a game he has ever been involved in.

With Cincinnati down one in the ninth, the Reds had first and third with one out. Todd Frazier hit a high chopper toward second. Schoop charged the ball and in pretty much one quick motion tagged Billy Hamilton out, who was heading to second, and threw to first to turn a dramatic game-ending double play.

"I think it was all on instinct," Schoop said. "Just had to make a decision. Was going to charge it, tag him and try to turn a double play."

Schoop said Hamilton's speed hurt him as he got to Schoop just as the ball did. A slower runner may have been able to more easily avoid the tag.

"He (Hamilton) didn't have time to do too much," Schoop said. "He tried to get out of the way, but the play was there. Didn't have time to go around. He had a path and he's fast. That is why I made the decision to go get it and tag him and try to turn it."

A review of the play took 1 minute and 17 seconds before the call on the field was confirmed.

"There wasn't any doubt. I knew I got him, wasn't any doubt," Schoop said.

It was a game where the O's rookie second baseman showed off some of his skills. He homered and also made a diving stop in the field.

"I try to bring something every day. Try to bring something to the table every day," Schoop said.

For O's starter Bud Norris, the challenge tonight was getting through the first inning. Not because of the Reds so much as the weather. He threw 10 pitches, got no outs and then a rain delay of a 1 hour and 46 minutes meant Norris had a long wait before throwing his 11th pitch of that inning.

"I don't know how to explain it," Norris said. "You want to pitch, it's your day to go out there. I had a little taste of it (a rain delay) in Chicago, little bittersweet. I just know what this team means to me and the group. Glad to go through six and put up zeroes.

"I knew it was a situation with a speed guy on second and it couldn't have worked out any better to get the first-pitch ground ball to third. Tried to get some momentum on my side. Was pretty jazzed after that and went from there."

It was in the first inning that Norris took a shot off his shin as Hamilton led off the game with an infield single on a comebacker.

"Yeah. It was pretty sore," Norris said. "Gotten beat up on the leg a few times this year and even the arm. We got on it pretty quick and I wrap my ankle every time I go out there anyway. Just to keep the swelling down and just pitch on it."

Norris kept himself ready to resume pitching after the long delay.

"Just try to stay loose. You go down the tunnel and play catch, every 10 or 15 minutes," he said. "Whenever you feel a half-inning could be over. Just trying to stay mentally in it. Buck and I talked about it. He left it up to me and I left it up to him. Said I wanted to go pitch. Real happy we got the win tonight. Big team effort, hard to do, late night like this. Once again the team grinds it out, says a lot."

Nelson Cruz drove in his career-high 91st run during the O's four-run first inning. It was a rally that came after that long rain delay.

"Nothing bad, just have to wait around," Cruz said. "You do whatever it takes to stay focused for the game. We did a really good job in that situation.

"We scored a lot early and it looked like it could be a wild game, but (Latos) shut us down after that. Bud was pretty good today. Nice to see him performing that well. It wasn't that pretty but it's a win."

The Orioles are now 11-1 when Schoop homers. They are 8-3 in Norris' 11 home starts this season. The Orioles have won three straight and 12 of their last 14 series-opening games. They are 10-8 in interleague games.