SCROLL DOWN TO READ ARTICLE
BOSTON–What happened? The Orioles needed a starter for the second game of a day/night doubleheader, and with the opportunity to add an extra player, chose Trevor Rogers as their starter.
Rogers, who had a 7.11 ERA in four starts after he was acquired from Miami last July 30th for Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers, pitched brilliantly.
The 27-year-old left-hander gave up just two hits, both to Kristian Campbell, in 6 1/3 innings. Campbell singled to begin the second and after Rogers hit Rob Refsnyder with a pitch with one out in the seventh, Campbell blooped a single to right.
Rogers struck out five and retired 19 of the first 20 batters he faced. It was the first time interim manager Tony Mansolino saw him pitch this season. He had a partially dislocated knee, and didn’t pitch in spring training.
Rogers didn’t get the win, but the Orioles did, thanks to Ryan O’Hearn’s eighth-inning RBI single and Dylan Carlson’s ninth-inning RBI double in a 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox before 34,604 at Fenway Park on Saturday night.
“It answered a lot of questions for me, a lot of self-doubt,” Rogers said. “I always knew in the back of my mind that I could help this organization and I just wanted to do my job. In the last year we all know what happened and I just came out here with a very simple mindset to try to attack hitters and execute my pitches and things went my way. All around, we just really battled today. We got the win, that’s what’s most important.”
O’Hearn’s single in the eighth scored Gunnar Henderson, whose hustle on a ground ball prevented a double play. Carlson’s double to left in the ninth scored Jorge Mateo.
Abraham Toro homered against Seranthony Domínguez to begin the bottom of the ninth. Mateo, who started in center field, nearly made a spectacular catch, but the ball popped out of his glove just before he fell over the wall, landing in the Boston bullpen. He remained in the game and caught the final out as Domínguez earned a five-out save, his first of the season.
The Orioles lost to the Red Sox, 6-5, in 10 innings in the afternoon game.
Mansolino had an unusual lineup for the second game, using Mateo in center, Ramón Urías at second base and Maverick Handley catching while Jackson Holliday and Cedric Mullins were rested.
In the eighth, Handley walked with one out. Henderson hit into a fielder’s choice. Adley Rutschman walked, and O’Hearn singled to right to break a scoreless tie.
Andrew Kittredge (1-0) recorded two outs after Rogers left the game in the seventh. Nick Sogard singled and stole second to begin the eighth. Connor Wong walked and Ceddanne Rafaella flied to short right.
Domínguez struck out Jarren Duran and after pitching coach Drew French went to the mound, the Orioles elected to pitch to Rafael Devers, who won the first game with a 10th-inning single. Devers fouled out to O’Hearn at first base.
The Orioles (17-34) had lost 10 of 11. Mansolino is now 2-7 since assuming managerial duties on May 18th.
Rogers was returned to Norfolk after the game. The Orioles need bullpen help now and Rogers can be recalled to start at any time.
Left-handed reliever Cionel Pérez was designated for assignment. The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo from Triple-A Norfolk.
How much of a surprise was Rogers? Mansolino wasn’t sure how far Rogers could pitch, but his bullpen was taxed by Friday’s 19-5 loss and a 10-inning first game on Saturday.
“I’m not sure we knew what we were going to get,” Mansolino said. “I think we knew going into spring training that he had made some adjustments in the offseason and things were really ticking up.”
Rogers made five minor league starts, four at Norfolk and one at Double-A Chesapeake, and had a combined 8.27 ERA.
“Usually a couple rehab starts in A-ball, in Double-A and Triple-A usually doesn’t play that well when we get to the big leagues, normally, but for some reason it played really good tonight,” Mansolino said.
“I wasn’t surprised because all of my hard work that I put in, but I wasn’t focused on it, if that makes sense,” Rogers said. “I was focused on pitch-to-pitch execution. Mav did an unbelievable job back there. I didn’t shake one time. I think, in years past, I would tell myself that I need to go deep into games, and then it never happened. So I just focused on pitch after pitch, good mental self-talk in between pitches and really just compete as simply as I can.”
Rogers shared some of his self-doubt.
“If I could even pitch at the highest level anymore, you know? It just felt like I was putting the work in, but I kept going backwards,” Rogers said. “It’s a lot of self-doubt, you know, if I need to find another career path and that’s not a good place to be, but today was a huge step in the right direction for me mentally. So, you know, I’m just really happy with the process in general.”
He isn’t sure what kept him going through the difficult times.
“That’s a good question,” Rogers said. “I think, in the back of my mind, I always knew what I could do. You go through life and life’s going to suck sometimes and you never know when it’s going to turn around, but I know for certain it’ll never turn around if I quit on myself. So I just kept putting in the work, hoping in the back of my mind that it’ll turn around. Today was a big step forward.”
Handley hadn’t caught Rogers this season, not even in spring training.
“Sometimes, some doubt comes to you with some failure, and same thing with confidence kind of comes with some success,” he said. “It’s finding the things that you’re being successful, building off of those and turning that into day on day on day. And that’s when you start seeing positive change.”
What does it mean? The Orioles could use some strong starts, and Rogers will get that opportunity.
What’s the word? “We trusted Frenchie to sprinkle his magic dust on Seranthony right here, and he did, and it worked. He got him to pop up.”-Mansolino on whether the Orioles considered walking Devers in the 8th inning.
What’s the stat of the day? The Orioles are 7-8 against the American League East and 10-26 against all other teams.
What’s next? Dean Kremer (3-5, 5.50) will face Walker Buehler (4-1, 4.00) on Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: [email protected]
