BALTIMORE–What happened? On a brutally hot evening, with the game-time temperature 100 degrees, Trevor Rogers became the first Oriole starter to pitch eight innings in the regular season since Kyle Bradish on September 26th, 2023.
Rogers allowed three singles without a walk, striking out four, throwing 101 pitches in the Orioles’ 6-0 win over the Texas Rangers before 13,929 at Camden Yards on Monday night.
The eight innings was Rogers’ longest start of his career.
“When it’s that type of temperature, it’s hard to expect the starter to stay in through the eighth, and pretty impressive,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said
On May 24th, Rogers delighted the Orioles with 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. He was the 27th man for the second game of a doubleheader. Sent back to Triple-A Norfolk after the game, he didn’t return until last Wednesday when he labored through 2 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks in Tampa.
The Orioles frittered away an 8-0 lead that night and lost, 12-8.
Rogers (1-0) allowed a leadoff single to Adolis Garcia in the second and consecutive two-out hits to Sam Haggerty and Wyatt Langford in the sixth. He retired his last seven batters.
“I mean, the innings kind of got easier as he went on,” Mansolino said.
Rogers was undeterred by the heat.
“To be honest, I don’t even really think about how long I go, how short I go,” he said. “I just focus on pitch execution, and if I go long that day, I know I’m doing my job. And if I go a little bit shorter, it’s just the way the game goes.
“Really, I was pumped to be out there in the eighth. First time, I think, in my career that I went that far. But the game plan didn’t change in the eighth inning. Really just focusing on executing, that’s it.”
Andrew Kittredge pitched a spotless ninth, enabling the Orioles (34-44) to record their third shutout.
Jackson Holliday tied his career high with four RBIs. His third-inning double scored catcher Chadwick Tromp, who also doubled. Holliday hit a three-run home run in the fifth, his ninth homer, to give the Orioles a 4-0 lead.
“This is your leadoff hitter, at least for the next five years,” Mansolino told his coaches in the dugout. “Left- or right-handed, I don’t think this kid goes anywhere else in the lineup. I took him out of the leadoff spot against [Tarik] Skubal. I don’t think I’ll ever do that. I think he’s probably staying there, barring something unforeseen.”
Consecutive singles by Gary Sánchez, Ramón Urías and Colton Cowser loaded the bases against Patrick Corbin (4-7) in the sixth. Cowser’s was a bunt single.
Former Orioles reliever Jacob Webb retired Coby Mayo on a grounder to second, which scored Sánchez, for a 5-0 lead.
Urías’ seventh-inning sacrifice fly scored Ramón Laureano for the Orioles’ final run.
How important was Rogers’ start? Mansolino was impressed by Rogers’ stuff on a difficult night to pitch.
“He was going to need the changeup against a right-handed lineup,” Mansolino said. “That was kind of a prerequisite for the night. And in the first inning he threw a couple and you thought, ‘OK, this is going to be OK tonight.’
“But then just the way the fastball jumped through the zone tonight, that was impressive. I think it was in the eighth inning there were some 95s up on the board. To carry that velocity through the eighth inning on a 130-degree night, super impressive. Sweeper/slider thing was another gear down from that, so three different speeds. Just really good.”
Rogers had four starts for the Orioles last season with a 7.11 ERA. Through three starts this year, he has a 1.62 ERA.
“That was probably the most frustrating thing for me last year is I knew deep down what I could do for this organization, and I wasn’t doing it,” Rogers said. “I just put too much pressure on myself and self-doubt crept in and a bunch of other things. But I look back now and am thankful for that. Really, I had to take a hard look in the mirror and figure some things out and just get better.
“I think the Orioles did an unbelievable job as far as the plan in place. Obviously, I didn’t understand the plan at the time when getting sent down, but I think we had a long-term plan here, and I think it’s finally coming to fruition.”
How good has Holliday been? It was Holliday’s second straight home run against a left-hander. On June 6th, he homered against the Athletics’ JP Sears.
“I mean it’s been encouraging lately to be able to face some really good left-handed pitching and have some success,” Holliday said.
He’s also happy to be in second place among second basemen in the All-Star voting.
“It’s quite a blessing to even be in this situation,” Holliday said. “To even be on All-Star voting is pretty, pretty awesome. I’m very blessed and lucky to be in this situation. Whatever happens, happens but it’s an honor either way.”
What does it mean? Having Rogers pitch so well gives the Orioles confidence that he can be a piece in their rotation.
What’s the stat of the day? Tromp was added to the roster earlier in the day after Maverick Handley was placed on the 7-day concussion list and delivered his first major league hit since May 23th, 2024 when he was with Atlanta.
What’s the word? “It’s really cool, really cool to hear that. It means a lot to have his trust and to be able to lead off for such a great team and hopefully set the tone for a while.’-Holliday on Mansolino predicting he’ll be the Orioles’ leadoff hitters for five years.
What’s next? The Orioles play the Rangers on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. Charlie Morton (4-7, 5.64) will start for the Orioles. Texas has yet to name its starter.