Rogers has rare subpar night in Orioles’ 4-3 loss to Diamondbacks

BALTIMORE- What happened? For four innings, Trevor Rogers flirted with trouble, but the Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t score. That ended in the fifth inning.

Rogers gave up four runs in the fifth. In his 4 2/3 innings, the 28-year-old left-hander allowed nine hits, his most as an Oriole and equaling his career high in a 4-3 loss to Arizona before 13,254 at Camden Yards on Tuesday night.

Unlike Monday night, when the Orioles overcame a six-run deficit, scoring eight unanswered runs in a 9-7 win, there were no late-inning dramatics.

Manager Craig Albernaz was back at his usual spot, foot on the top dugout step, one night after he suffered a broken right jaw and a shattered cheek bone.

Second baseman Jeremiah Jackson, whose two homers on Monday were essential in the comeback and whose foul ball caused Albernaz’s injuries, thoughtfully inscribed a home run ball, “Sorry, homie,” to his manager.

Jackson had two more hits on Tuesday but was picked off third after a fourth-inning double. Dylan Beavers also was thrown out at second on an attempted steal as former Oriole catcher James McCann, who received a warm welcome from the fans, had a big night.

“I think that fifth inning just didn’t really go my way. I got the ball on the ground a lot,” Rogers said. “Honestly, that curveball to [Ildemaro]Vargas, I thought it was a good pitch, I thought he popped it up and it just kept going.”

Vargas, who was elevated to the leadoff spot after Ketel Marte, who homered twice on Monday, was scratched with back spasms, hit a three-run home run off Rogers, the first he’s allowed all season in the fifth.

José Fernández’s RBI double gave the Diamondbacks a 4-2 lead and ended Rogers’ night.

“It looks like the changeup had some different profiles as he was throwing it throughout the course of the game,” Albernaz said. “That was one thing that stood out. He had one walk, and it hurt him. Vargas got that breaking ball in the air for a three-run shot. And that’s what ended up hurting him.

“But he still threw the ball well. It’s just that, back-to-back innings, he had high pitch counts both innings, so that kind of got to the end of the night for him.”

Samuel Basallo, who started at catcher for the fourth straight game, homered against Merrill Kelly, making his season debut, in the second inning. Kelly walked Leody Taveras with the bases loaded to score Taylor Ward.

Rico Garcia relieved Rogers with two outs and Fernández at second, and struck out Nolan Arenado, who homered twice on Monday night. Garcia pitched a perfect sixth. He’s now pitched nine hitless innings this season and enabled the Orioles’ bullpen to maintain their streak of not having allowed an inherited runner to score.

Kelly gave up two runs on five hits in 5 1/3.

After Jackson was picked off to end the fourth, the Orioles didn’t have a hit until Basallo’s single to left in the eighth. It followed a walk to Pete Alonso against Juan Morillo. Taveras’ single scored Alonso. Colton Cowser walked to load the bases.

It brought up Jackson with the bases loaded a night after his clutch grand slam, but Ryan Thompson retired Jackson on a soft grounder to the mound, and the Orioles trailed, 4-3.

Cowser prevented more runs from being scored by making a sensational diving catch on Vargas’ sinking popup with two runners on and Nick Raquet on the mound.

But the Orioles went down in order in the ninth against Paul Sewald, who recorded his sixth save.

The Orioles, who had won six of their previous seven, are 9-8.

How was Rogers’ start different? Rogers came into the game with a 1.89 ERA through three starts, and now it’s 3.04.

“Body felt good, stuff was good,” Rogers said. “Those ground balls didn’t go my way and kind of lost my command on my fastball that fifth inning and I just tried to dig myself out of a hole, and I did too much. Just learn from it and be ready again in five or six days.”

Last season, nearly all of Rogers’ starts were good ones.

“This game is really hard, and that’s why I just try to stay even-keeled the best I can,” he said. “Those starts are going to happen, and we have 5 1/2, 6 more months of this, and in baseball, it’s going to happen again. So I just try to stay even-keel. I know how good my stuff is. If I can get in the zone and keep my team in ballgames, I’m going to have good success.”

What does it mean? The Orioles’ bullpen continued to excel. Garcia, Grant Wolfram, Yennier Cano and Raquet combined for 4 1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball. Relievers struck out seven without walking a batter.

What’s the word? “Pitchers like throwing to him, and no matter what the circumstance, what happens in the game, good, bad or indifferent, you can always have a conversation with him and he’s engaged, and he asks the right questions back.”–Albernaz on Basallo’s catching ability.

What’s the stat of the day? 0-for-17. Oriole relievers have stranded their first 17 inherited runners, longest streak in club history to begin a season.

What’s going on in the minor leagues? Shortstop José Barrero and rightfielder Fernando Peguero homered in Triple-A Norfolk’s 4-3 loss to Durham in 10 innings.

Kailen Hamson allowed seven runs in 2 1/3 innings in Single-A Delmarva’s 21-4 loss to Fredericksburg.

High-A Frederick was trailing Hudson Valley, 4-2, in the top of the third when the game was suspended by rain.

Double-A Chesapeake was postponed at New Hampshire.

What’s next? Kyle Bradish (1-2, 5.27) will start against Eduardo Rodríguez (1-0, 0.50) in the final game of the homestand. It will be the first time the Orioles face a left-handed starter this season. Game time is 12:35 p.m.