DO-IT-ALL DEREK: Derek Jeter lays down a sacrifice bunt, part of his 4-for-4 night, which also included starting two double plays. (Getty Images)
BALTIMORE — If it was someone else, you’d accuse him of acting. But Derek Jeter wore the sly grin yesterday afternoon in the Camden Yards visitors’ clubhouse, putting on his socks one at a time like the rest of us and completely impervious to the tension surrounding his team.
And in the least shocking development since the Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries divorce, Jeter led the way with four hits in the Yankees’ first victory of the season, 6-2 over the Orioles last night. The captain contributed three singles, a double and a sacrifice bunt and started two double plays in the field.
“A lot of times, the first of anything can be the most difficult,” Jeter said after the game. “You try to get the first out of the way. You don’t want to think about it too much.”
Some baseball deficiencies are real and difficult. Lefty pitcher can’t get out righty hitters? You might have a LOOGY (Lefty One-Out GuY) on your hands. Speedy fellow can’t hit? Make him a defensive replacement/pinch-runner.
Some liabilities can be overcome with more ease. It’s a must. A team or a player is not “clutch”? Once the maligned party delivers in a big spot, that label dissipates quickly.
When you have a player such as Jeter, who has made a career out of challenging geeks like me that assert that the whole notion of “clutch” is overrated, you can change your team profile in a hurry.
The sweep at Tampa Bay, at the hands of the mighty Rays, left Joe Girardi concerned enough to call a team meeting after Sunday’s 3-0 finale.
“No panic,” the manager urged, a simple message that can feel challenging for a team with this payroll and these expectations.
The change in venue helped, as the Rays are excellent and the Orioles, despite entering the game 3-0, aren’t very good. The change in pitchers helped, too, as Ivan Nova shook off concerns about a rough spring training by scattering 10 hits over seven innings, striking out seven, walking none and picking up another seven outs on the ground.
However many times Jeter has kicked off an important game with a hit, add another to his ledger. His leadoff single against Baltimore starter Brian Matusz turned into a run as Jeter advanced to second on Robinson Cano’s groundout to second and, following an Alex Rodriguez walk, scored on Mark Teixeira’s single to right.
With the game still tied at 1-1 and Orioles on first and second in the bottom of the third, it was Jeter who fielded Nick Markakis’ grounder up the middle, stepped on second and threw to first for an inning-ending twin-killing. And after Russell Martin singled home the lead run and an Eduardo Nunez sacrifice fly plated a second run, a Jeter double to right field brought in Martin for a game-changing, three-run fourth. Jeter started an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play in the fifth to officially put Nova in line for the victory.
Just for the heck of it, Jeter added a single to right in the eighth, as he capitalized on Nunez’s self-called steal by poking a grounder through the newly created hole. Jeter now has a .412 batting average and .444 on-base percentage in the first four games, and every indication is that he has picked up from where he left off with last year’s .327 BA and .383 OBP in the second half.
“He had great at-bats,” Girardi said.
“I just want to be comfortable,” Jeter said. “If you’re comfortable, then good things happen. … If I’m comfortable, then I’m confident the success will be there.”
Comfort and confidence rarely have been issues for Jeter. Thanks largely to his efforts, the rest of the team can follow suit tonight and beyond, now that the first win is history.
kdavidoff@nypost.com