BALTIMORE -- What needed to happen for Trevor Rogers to return to his 2025 form? As Orioles pitching coach Drew French saw it, the left-hander just needed to believe -- both in his stuff and in himself.
“He’s a really, really good pitcher, and I think the most important thing is that he just needs to remember that at times,” French said earlier this week. “We’ve got to get him to consistently believe in who he is.”
For much of Friday night, Rogers was doing exactly that.
Rogers looked like his old self through six innings vs. the Blue Jays, who hadn’t amounted any offense to that point. However, the 28-year-old southpaw yielded two-run home runs to Kazuma Okamoto and Charles McAdoo in the seventh, as Baltimore went on to lose, 6-5, to Toronto at Camden Yards.
It was the first time Rogers pitched into the seventh since Opening Day on March 26 (when he tossed seven scoreless frames vs. the Twins). Because of that, he and manager Craig Albernaz both admitted there was some fatigue, even though Rogers was only at 74 pitches through six.
“I was getting tired toward the end, but until Alby takes the ball out of my hand, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got for the guys,” Rogers said. “I think it was a learning moment for both of us. I think I probably should have, sixth inning, put my ego aside and probably turn it to the bullpen.”
Albernaz expressed the same sentiment after the O’s took a 5-0 lead into the seventh and couldn’t come away with a victory.
“That’s a struggle, leaving him in too late,” Albernaz said. “He was efficient with his pitches, and where the ‘pen was. But yeah, left him out there too long.”
Baltimore still held a 5-4 advantage going into the eighth, but right-hander Yennier Cano gave up singles to George Springer and Ernie Clement and a go-ahead two-run double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that swung the game. It was Cano’s first appearance since leaving Wednesday’s game vs. Tampa Bay due to right hamstring discomfort.
Cano tested his hamstring in the bullpen Friday evening and avoided going on the injured list. The 32-year-old had a 1.86 ERA through his first 25 games, so Albernaz wanted to use him for the right-handed pocket atop the Blue Jays’ lineup, but the desired results did not follow.
Although it was a tough loss for the O’s -- who fell to 26-32 and have dropped two in a row to the Jays after going 5-1 to begin their season-long 10-game homestand -- there’s reason to believe Rogers may have taken a significant step forward.
Rogers retired 17 of the 20 batters he faced over the first six innings. He pitched around a one-out triple by Daulton Varsho in the second. Then, he escaped a two-on, out-out jam in the sixth by getting Clement to ground into a double play.
Of the 74 pitches Rogers threw over the first six frames, 10 came during a matchup against Varsho in the fifth that resulted in a groundout. That’s how efficient the lefty was up to that point.
“It was awesome to watch him do his thing, especially playing behind him,” said second baseman Jackson Holliday, who hit one of Baltimore’s three solo home runs. “I thought he threw the ball great. It was fun to watch.”
After posting a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts last year and opening this season with a 1.89 ERA through his first three outings, Rogers had an 11.03 ERA during a six-start losing streak from April 14-this past Sunday. He didn’t pitch more than five innings in any of those outings, and he allowed at least three runs in each of them.
On Friday, Rogers did a good job of keeping his pitches away from the heart of the strike zone. His changeup induced four of his eight whiffs, and his other secondary offerings (sweeper, sinker and cutter) were also effective.
The Orioles may have a 4.76 rotation ERA that ranks 26th in MLB, but the unit has been better of late. Baltimore’s starters combined to post a 2.00 ERA over its previous six games entering Friday, a stretch that included gems by Brandon Young (two unearned runs in 6 2/3 innings on Sunday), Kyle Bradish (six innings of one-run ball on Monday), Shane Baz (seven innings of one-run ball on Tuesday) and Chris Bassitt (six innings of one-run ball on Thursday).
“I think we all knew what we were capable of, and we’re finally starting to see it,” Rogers said. “All those guys have been throwing the ball really well, and it’s nice to contribute to that.”