Orioles blow 5-run lead as Rogers allows 4 in 7th in 6-5 loss to Blue Jays

BALTIMORE–What happened? The Orioles seemed on their way to an efficient win through six innings. After weeks of frustration and six straight losses, Trevor Rogers finally returned to his 2025 form. Rogers, who began the season with three quality starts before those bad outings and a visit to the injured list due to the flu, pitched six scoreless innings before tiring in the seventh.

Rogers allowed four runs in he seventh on a pair of two-run homers, and Yennier Cano, who left Wednesday night’s game with right hamstring discomfort, gave up three straight hits and two runs in the eighth as the Orioles lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5, before 25,494 at Camden Yards on Friday night.

The Orioles (26-32) led 5-0 after six, but Toronto (29-29) scored four runs in the seventh on two-run homers by Kazuma Okamoto and Charles McAdoo, who was playing his first major league game.

Manager Craig Albernaz finally pulled Rogers after McAdoo’s home run, and Tyler Wells recorded three outs to end the seventh.

Albernaz acknowledged that he had left Rogers, who threw 74 pitches in six innings, in too long.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Albernaz said. “Yeah. That’s a struggle. Leaving him in too late. He was efficient with his pitches and where the ‘pen was, but, yeah, left him out there too long.”

Rogers blamed himself for the loss.

“I was getting tired towards 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. But this game’s about learning, and we’ll make adjustments.”

Cano (1-2), who allowed three straight hits and a walk before leaving the game on Wednesday night, gave up singles to George Springer and Ernie Clement before Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two-run double gave the Blue Jays a 6-5 lead.

After winning five of six to begin the homestand, the Orioles have lost two straight to Toronto. This one stung.

Rogers had given up just two hits in six scoreless innings — a triple by Daulton Varsho that centerfielder Leody Taveras misplayed, and a double to Brandon Valenzuela in the sixth.

Rogers didn’t retire a batter in the seventh and ended up allowing four runs on six hits, walking one and striking out three. After looking like the pitcher who started the season through six, he looked like the one who has been struggling in the seventh.

“He threw the ball extremely well tonight,” Albernaz said. “Getting out of some jams early, too. He was efficient with his pitches. I love the fastball locations were right where they needed to be, and it opened up the changeup. And the bigger breaking ball, the sweeper, was on full display, too. So he did a great job tonight.”

Blue Jays manager John Schneider used left-hander Adam Macko, a native of Slovakia, as an opener. Onetime Oriole Austin Voth picked up for Macko in the second and gave up all five Orioles runs.

Voth walked four, three in the third inning. Adley Rutschman’s bases-loaded walk scored Jackson Holliday and Samuel Basallo’s sacrifice fly gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the third.

Holliday hit his second home run in the fourth, and Pete Alonso and Basallo hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth for a 5-0 lead.

It was Alonso’s 11^th and Basallo’s ninth.

The Orioles and Rogers appeared to be cruising, but the offense also hit a wall, failing to get a hit in the final four innings. Connor Seabold retired each of the five batters he faced. Mason Fluharty (3-0) faced four and retired them all. Braydon Fisher pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save.

Gunnar Henderson reached on an error by Clement at second with two outs in the ninth before Rutschman grounded to Clement for the final out.

Something changed in the last four innings.

“I don’t know,” Holliday said “Maybe they just executed pitches better. Thought we swung the bat really well the first half of the game, and sometimes that happens. Sometimes they make good pitches and hitting is really hard.”

How well did Rogers pitch? Rogers did pitch much better than he had in weeks and pitched into the seventh for the first time since Opening Day.

“I was very encouraged,” he said. “I was avoiding the middle of the plate, something I did really well last year, and I was really encouraged. I think there’s a lot of positives that we can take into the next one.”

In the seventh, something changed.

“I think I just got too amped up and just went back to trying to blow fastballs by guys,” Rogers said. “The third time up, they’re ready for heaters. I’ll learn from it. That’s on me. We should have won the game and just got to be better.”

Did Albernaz make the right bullpen moves? Albernaz was asked if he thought about having Wells go an extra inning because he shut down the Blue Jays in the seventh. But the manager wanted to use Cano in the eighth against Toronto’s right-handed hitters.

“We know there was a string of righties,” Albernaz said. “They weren’t going to pinch-hit for that spot in the order. We love the matchups with Cano, and he’s been throwing the ball extremely well. We were more than comfortable bringing him in there.”

Cano now has had back-to-back bad outings.

What does it mean? Rogers did pitch extremely well for six innings, and that was encouraging.

What’s the stat of the day? 0-for-10. For the second straight game, the Orioles were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

What’s the word? “He threw the ball extremely well tonight. Those two home runs in the seventh just reinforce how good an outing it was. That’s the Trevor that we know and love, and just to flush those two hits and be really encouraged of the outing he had.”-Albernaz on Rogers

What’s going on in the minor leagues? Eduarniel Núñez gave up five runs, three earned, on four hits while retiring one batter in Triple-A Norfolk’s 7-4 loss to Durham. Newly signed Chris Kachmar allowed one hit in 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Heston Kjerstad had an RBI double.

Griff O’Ferrall had four hits and drove in four runs and Aron Estrada homered as Double-A Chesapeake beat Erie, 14-2. Sebastian Gongora  allowed two runs on two hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Luis Vázquez drove in two runs as High-A Frederick lost to Jersey Shore, 8-3. Keifer Lord gave up three runs on six hits in three innings.

Steve Still pitched four innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits in Single-A Delmarva’s 2-1 loss to Fredericksburg.

What’s next? Brandon Young (3-1, 3.47) will start against Trey Yesavage (2-2, 2.25) on Saturday at 4:05 p.m.

Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com