Trevor Rogers has flipped the script on his season, and Friday night at Camden Yards was a testament to his transformation. Facing the Washington Nationals, Rogers delivered a third consecutive quality start, propelling the Orioles to a 3-1 victory. The change in Rogers' approach was palpable as he pitched into the seventh inning, allowing just one earned run and racking up a season-high seven strikeouts.
This turnaround can largely be attributed to Rogers' decision to pivot from his career-long reliance on the change-up to a more fastball-centric strategy. His four-seam fastball was the star of the show, and it was on full display against a formidable Nationals lineup.
With his velocity climbing to a lively 94-95 mph, Rogers leaned heavily on his heater, a move that rookie manager Craig Albernaz couldn't help but praise. "He had his fastball going, had great life to it," Albernaz noted, emphasizing the pitch's effectiveness throughout Rogers' outing.
Rogers himself acknowledged the impact of this adjustment, stating, "The fastball has been playing really well right now, and I'm just going to use that to my advantage." Indeed, he threw it 70 percent of the time through the first four scoreless innings, generating 14 swings and misses or called strikes out of 26 fastballs. Despite a slight jam in the fourth inning, the Orioles' defense, highlighted by Blaze Alexander's pinpoint throw to home, helped Rogers escape unscathed.
Offensively, the Orioles (39-44) have been searching for consistency, and Friday was no different against Nationals starter Andrew Alvarez. Known for giving the Orioles fits, Alvarez saw his pitch count rise but managed to limit Baltimore's production with runners in scoring position. However, the Orioles broke through in the fourth inning with Coby Mayo's leadoff double, followed by Blaze Alexander's clutch two-run single.
Yet, in a classic Orioles fashion, a baserunning blunder cost them a potential third run. Alexander was thrown out at third base before Jackson Holliday could score, a mistake that Albernaz acknowledged needed addressing.
"There was a lot to unpack there," Albernaz said, noting the miscommunication that led to the gaffe. Fortunately, it didn’t haunt them in this matchup.
Rogers faced a brief hiccup in the fifth inning, allowing a run to Keibert Ruiz, but he quickly regained control. He adjusted his tactics against James Wood, one of the game's elite hitters, using his breaking pitches to secure a crucial strikeout. By the sixth inning, Rogers had diversified his pitch mix, incorporating his sweeper and cutter to great effect, before exiting with a 2-1 lead.
Coby Mayo's second double of the night in the seventh inning added an insurance run, and the Orioles' bullpen, which has had its struggles, was solid. Tyler Wells, Grant Wolfram, and Ryan Helsley each delivered a clean inning to seal the win.
Behind the plate, Samuel Basallo continues to fill in admirably for Adley Rutschman, who remains on the concussion Injured List but is reportedly making progress. Rutschman's absence has been felt, but Basallo has stepped up, logging significant innings in his stead.
Meanwhile, Tyler O’Neill, who has struggled against left-handed pitching since joining the Orioles, surprised many with a double and a walk against Alvarez. Gunnar Henderson, however, continues to battle at the plate, particularly with runners on base, a situation that requires his superstar potential to shine for Baltimore to succeed.
As the Orioles continue their homestand, the spotlight remains on their ability to capitalize on opportunities and maintain the momentum they've started to build.
In Other News...
Blue Angels Turned Camden Yards Into A Baltimore Moment Fans Wont Forget
Camden Yards had an extra soundtrack Saturday, and the Orioles made sure everyone in the ballpark knew it was coming. Before the game against the Nationals, the club alerted the umpires and Washington about the noise from the U.S. Navys Blue Angels flyover tied to the Sail250 event, then passed the warning along to fans on the video board as the planes prepared to cross over the stadium.
The reminder proved necessary in the middle of one plate appearance, when home plate umpire Jansen Visconti had to call time several times as the roar overhead interrupted the action. Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser also had a little fun with the moment, saying he wished he could have sent one out while the planes were flying by, even if he came up just short of making the scene even more Baltimore. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles May Finally Have To Cash In Top Prospects
With the trade deadline looming, the Orioles are once again facing one of the harder choices that comes with building a contender: whether to move from their prospect strength to patch holes on the major league roster. Baltimore has spent years stockpiling young talent, but not every promising bat can fit at once, especially with congestion at catcher and first base making the next step tricky for some of the systems more intriguing names.
The pull to keep the pipeline intact is obvious, yet the pressure to win now is real, and that is where the front office has to decide how much future value it is willing to spend. Some of the organizations better young hitters have seen their stock rise at the right time, which only sharpens the question of whether the Orioles should keep waiting on development or turn that depth into help for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Cant Ignore These Two Season-Defining Problems Any Longer
The Orioles have reached the point in the season where two problems keep showing up in different forms, and neither one can be brushed aside much longer. Gunnar Hendersons spot near the top of the lineup has become part of the conversation because the offense needs more than name value from a player in that role, while the rotation continues to look stretched as Baltimore tries to keep games from getting away early.
Kyle Bradishs latest start only deepened the concern on the pitching side, with another erratic outing that ended quickly after he issued five walks in four innings. There is growing reason to think the club may need to get creative with how it manages the staff, including the possibility of a six-man rotation if help arrives in time, but for now the Orioles are still stuck trying to solve issues that are hard to ignore and even harder to mask. [Read more 🡒]