Alonso hits 2 more home runs as Orioles pound Yankees, 10-2; Rogers goes 4 innings in possible last start

NEW YORK—Trevor Rogers threw four innings in what could have been his last game with the Orioles, and he got lots of offensive support in a 10-2 rout of the New York Yankees in the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Friday.

Friday’s first game was in place of Saturday night’s scheduled game. A forecast of heavy rain for Saturday encouraged Major League Baseball to suggest the change. Sunday’s forecast is also unfavorable.

Pete Alonso smacked his 42^nd home run in the second inning, a two-run shot against Brendan Beck (0-2). The Orioles (79-81) won their fourth straight.

Alonso hit his 43^rd, tying him with Rafael Palmeiro for eighth place on the Orioles’ single-season home run list, leading off the seventh. It traveled 471 feet.

“There’s been some great moments,” Alonso said before the game. “But that’s not the expectation. As a club, we failed to perform.”

Alonso was upset the Orioles were eliminated from postseason play on Thursday.

“The standard for us is to not only make the postseason, but make a run and have a legitimate shot to hold up a trophy at the end the year,” he said.

Manager Craig Albernaz has been taken with Alonso’s second half. He’s hit 22 home runs after the All-Star break.

“It’s not only the at-bat quality, the pitches he’s getting,” Albernaz said. “He’s not missing them. He squares them up pretty good. The boys are fired up for him.”

The Orioles scored five runs in the fourth, taking an 7-0 lead. Christian Franklin’s single with bases loaded, his first major league RBI, scored Coby Mayo, and Dylan Beavers hit a grand slam, his eighth home run.

Jeremiah Jackson’s inside-the-park home run in the sixth, was his 10^th home run of the season, and the Orioles’ second in 10 days. Mayo legged one out on September 15^th at Citi Field, the game Alonso hit his 300^th.

New York (92-68), which will host a wild-card series against Boston next week, scored against Rogers in the fourth when Heliot Ramos tripled and Amed Rosario singled.

Rogers allowed a run on five hits in four innings, striking out four. He threw 55 pitches.

“The 30^th start was pretty big for me personally,” Rogers said. “Just being able to go out there for a couple of innings, four innings, and keep my team in it, and feeling good, just end out the year, it was special.”

Albert Suárez (3-0) threw four scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out five.

Gunnar Henderson’s RBI single in the eighth scored Franklin to make it 10-1.

It broke an Orioles nine-game losing streak in the Bronx.

Will Rogers be back? Rogers will be a free agent, and while he’s said repeatedly he’d like to be back, there’s been no sign of any movement to bring him back.

“There’s some unknown in the future, and it’s an exciting time for me personally, but I owe this organization a lot,” he said. “They helped me get back to where I wanted to be.

“I’d love to be back here, but the business side of baseball, you never know.”

Rogers will see who’s interested and hopes to return to the Orioles.

“I earned the right to earn it to free agency,” he said. “I get to test the market and see what it says, that’s kind of he exciting thing about the whole ordeal. I finally get a say about where I want to go. I’ve made it known about this place and how I feel about this place. We’ll see how the business of baseball shakes out.”

What does it mean? Alonso continues to show why he’s such a valuable player. Whether the game is important or not, he plays hard.

What’s the stat of the day? 8 Alonso has eight home runs in his last nine games.  

What’s the word? “There’s a lot of good that happened, but that’s not the expectation. That’s not why we’re here.”–Alonso on the season.

What’s next? Brandon Young (9-5, 3.62) will start Game 2.

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

Orioles-Yankees Game 2 lineups

Orioles

Dylan Beavers-DH

Pete Alonso-1B

Coby Mayo-3B

Jeremiah Jackson-2B

Leody Taveras-CF

Rece Hinds-RF

Christian Franklin-LF

Yohel Pozo-C

José Barrero-SS

Brandon Young-RHP

Yankees

Ben Rice-DH

Cody Bellinger-LF

Heliot Ramos-RF

Luis Garcia Jr.-1B

Spencer Jones-CF

Jazz Chisholm Jr.-2B

Anthony Volpe-SS

Austin Wells-C

Ryan McMahon-3B

Ryan Yarbrough-LHP