Jonathan Schoop talks about playing in his first playoff game

Well, the kid got off to a good start in the first major league playoff game of his life. Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop went 2-for-4 last night. He singled in the second inning in his first postseason at-bat and then added a two-run double in the eight-run eighth. Schoop ended the regular season batting just .109 (6-for-55) over his last 20 games with one homer and two RBIs. He'll take the hits but he loved the win. "I felt really good to get a few hits and to help the team win. That is all that matters," the 22-year-old Schoop said. "You go 0-for-5, but the team wins, that's a good day. If you go 5-for-5 and you lose, that's no good. You have to find a way to win." Schoop said the Orioles were a relaxed team heading into the game even if he may have had a few nerves of his own. "Jonesey (Adam Jones), (Nelson) Cruz, all those guys they kept the team loose," Schoop said. "Young guys like us in our first postseason, we felt pretty comfortable because the veteran guys talked with us. Of course you have some nerves in the first inning, but after that it went away." Schoop is close with Cruz. They have that special handshake after homers and the vet took some time to talk with the rookie about the playoffs. "He said stay yourself," Schoop said. "Don't try to do too much. Play the game like you normally play and have fun with it." So was he able to do just that? "Yes, after the first inning," Schoop said. "There were a few nerves in the first inning, but you step in the box and it goes away. If you're not nervous, you're not in the game. I think even the fans were nervous a little bit." Schoop can dare to dream by the way. He played on the Little League World Series championship team from Willemstad, Curacao, in 2004, recording the save in the championship game. Now he'd like another World Series in his future.