Baltimore Orioles Jonathan Schoop contributes at All-Star Game

The Baltimore Orioles lone representative, Jonathan Schoop, contributed to the American League’s win in the 88th All-Star Game in Miami.

While the Baltimore Orioles infielder may not have stolen the show, he did provide a much-needed hit and was the first player to cross home plate.

Schoop replaced starting second baseman Houston Astros Jose Altuve in the fifth inning. He hit a double to left field where hometown favorite Marcell Ozuna of the Miami Marlins was stationed. At this point in the game, Alex Wood from the Los Angeles Dodgers was toeing the slab.

MIAMI, FL – JULY 11: Jonathan Schoop /

With two outs and Schoop on second, breakout star Minnesota Twins Miguel Sano hit a fly ball single that landed just fair of the right-field line. The ball dropped just out of reach of the speedy Bryce Harper who ended it up deflecting it away from teammate Ryan Zimmerman. Schoop scored the first run of the game. Aaron Judge then struck out and ended the inning.

Check out Schoop’s hit here.

Runs were at a premium in the All-Star Game. In the sixth inning, Yadier Molina scored the tying run with a home run off of the Twins Ervin Santana. The game remained tied until the 10th inning when Robinson Cano hit a home run off of Chicago Cubs Wade Davis. Andrew Miller closed the game and the National League could not come back.

This was the first All-Star Game in several years that did not matter. Despite the fact that the game was purely an exhibition, the players came to compete. Starting pitchers reached velocities that are normally reserved for closers. Strategically placed mics let the audience hear Max Scherzer‘s grunting, but fortunately, not his mumbling while on the mound. Chris Sale reached 100 mph on his fastball, but Bryce Harper managed to get a single off of him – something that no AL hitter could do off of Scherzer.

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Along with knock-out pitching, several defensive players were highlight-reel worthy. Several outfielders were not in their typical spots but it did not keep them from making plays. Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts threw out Nolan Arenado from centerfield in a surprising double play in the fourth inning. Bryce Harper showed off his speed (and the flow) catching a bomb from Salvador Perez in the second inning. In the bottom of the tenth, Detroit Tigers left fielder Justin Upton prevented Corey Seager from earning extra bases when he made an unlikely catch in right field.

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Offensively, there were a few disappointments. The power hitters, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, both went hitless in the game. Both had three plate appearances and combined for three strikeouts. The American League collected 14 strikeouts and the National League had 9. Regardless of the quiet bats and having only one Orioles player on the team, the Midsummer Classic was worth watching.