Before late heroics, Schoop's turn of double play was pretty special, too

So the Orioles had yet another game where they failed to get even one hit with a runner in scoring position. But that didn't stop Johnny Baseball.

Jonathan Schoop's first walk-off home run gave the Orioles a 3-2 win over the Nationals last night. Not a bad way to start a big weekend series in front of a sellout crowd of 46,289.

Schoop was on the disabled list with a sprained right knee from April 18-July 4. The Orioles are thrilled to have him back. He's a talent on the field and an enthusiastic youthful presence in the clubhouse.

Schoop has said several times he no longer worries about his knee during games, and a play in the second inning last night proved that.

With Ian Desmond on first and one out, Jose Lobaton hit a slow roller to third baseman Manny Machado's left. Machado gloved the ball and shuffled an underhand toss to Schoop at the second base bag. Schoop somehow managed to catch the ball as Desmond was sliding into him to break up the double play. He made a leap and throw to first to complete a nifty double play. With a runner bearing down on him - heck, basically right on him as the ball arrived - Schoop worried about making a play and not about his knee. It was a big moment for the young second baseman.

Schoop said again after last night's game he has absolutely no trepidation or concerns about his knee during games.

"To be honest, that went away two weeks ago," he said. "That is part of my game, the double play and making some plays that maybe some others cannot make. Make some plays that will be tough for a lot of people. I have to stay in there like the same one in Boston. I just have to stay in, throw the ball and get a double play."

He sure did that, and Schoop had a huge impact on a very important Orioles win with both his bat and glove.

Schoop has now homered twice in five games and 17 at-bats since he returned from the disabled list. Dating back to the last six games of his minor league injury rehab assignment, he has now hit six homers over his last 11 games and 40 at-bats between Single-A Frederick, Double-A Bowie and Baltimore.

Machado did not homer last night, but he has hit 19 on the year and 13 over his last 38 games. Machado will take part in the Home Run Derby on All-Star Monday in Cincinnati. He was asked yesterday if he has surprised himself this year with his home run total.

"Not really. I've put some good swings on and the ball has been carrying out. That is the most surprising part that I'm hitting the ball all over the place," he said. "I've been working hard every day to get my legs back to where they need to be. They are not where they need to be, but they are getting there and it's showing that I have a base under myself to be able to do the things I want to do. It's been a fun year and I'm excited to go back to the All-Star Game."

Machado was asked about this weekend's Baltimore-Washington showdown.

"It is just another game. Obviously the Nationals are right down the street and we share some fans. Our fans go down there when we play there. You could say it's a rivalry but we are just two teams trying to make the playoffs and show everyone what kind of teams we are," he said.

Updating the RISP stat: Last night was the seventh time in the last nine games that the Orioles failed to get one hit with a runner in scoring position. They hit two solo homers, and the run they scored without a homer came on a Matt Wieters' double with a man on first and not in scoring position.

So the O's went 0-for-7 last night with RISP. That makes them just 1-for-27 (.037) over their last four games and 5-for-61 (.082) over the last nine games with RISP.

Last night was the 19th game this year without a hit with a runner in scoring position when they had at least one at-bat in those situations. They are 3-16 in those games.