The Orioles got exactly what they needed from Trevor Rogers and absolutely nothing from the lineup around him.
Rogers turned in a dominant 8.0-inning effort against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, giving up one run on three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts. He threw 99 pitches, 72 for strikes, and generated 17 swing and misses.
It was the kind of outing that should have been enough to cash in a win. Instead, Baltimore walked away with a 1-0 loss.
Milwaukee’s lone run came in the second inning. Former Oriole Joey Ortiz lined a one-out triple to right field after the ball got past Rece Hinds, then scored on a Gary Sanchez groundout to third base.
Robert Gasser matched Rogers pitch for pitch in his own way, and the Brewers starter kept Baltimore quiet for 7.0 scoreless innings. He allowed just three hits, walked three, struck out two and hit a batter while throwing 107 pitches, 64 for strikes.
Baltimore never found a breakthrough. The Orioles finished 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left six on base.
Their best chances came and went fast: runners on first and second with no outs in the second inning ended with a groundout double play and another groundout, and a bases-loaded, one-out spot in the sixth died the same way, with another double play. Rece Hinds added a double in the seventh with one out, but the inning went nowhere after that.
The struggles at the plate have shown up too often for this team, but Saturday still stung because Rogers gave them so much. It may also have been his final start at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, with free agency waiting at the end of the season. He left with nothing to show for it except the fact that he pitched his a$$ off.
In Other News...
Orioles Fans Have Every Right To Question Craig Albernaz After This
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The sequence that stood out most came in the seventh, when Craig Albernaz had Samuel Basallo lay down a bunt in the middle of a rally attempt. Basallo had been struggling, but the call did not pay off and the inning slipped away, leaving fans to wonder whether Baltimore gave up too much offense in a game already hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Make Another Outfield Tweak With Wild Card Pressure Rising
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Trevor Rogers was lined up to start for Baltimore opposite Milwaukees Robert Gasser, adding another layer to a game that carried more than just lineup intrigue. With the Orioles still searching for the right balance in the outfield and on the mound, every roster move and every start matters a little more now, especially with the seasons margin for error getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Made Their Offseason Direction A Lot More Clear
Mike Elias has been around long enough in Baltimore to know that every offseason conversation eventually turns to the same question: what exactly are the Orioles building toward next? On that front, the picture got a little clearer this week. Elias said he expects to remain in his role through the offseason and into next year, and he also confirmed Craig Albernaz will be back as manager for the upcoming season.
The broader message is just as important for a club trying to sharpen its edge after a year of front office changes. The Orioles are planning to bring in outside voices to their baseball operations, a sign they want more perspectives as they look to improve the roster and the organization around it. For a team that has already started reworking how it operates, the continuity at the top suggests the next step is less about changing direction and more about refining it. [Read more 🡒]