BALTIMORE -- Since returning to the big leagues earlier this year, Trevor Rogers has learned how to better keep his emotions in check. The 27-year-old left-hander doesn’t let any moment overwhelm him, as he relies on breathing techniques and trust in his stuff to get through starts.
But Rogers knew Saturday would test him more than any outing since he was dealt from Miami to Baltimore last July 30. When the southpaw toed the rubber at Camden Yards, he’d be facing the team that traded him for the first time.
“It was very weird. Had an adrenaline rush, definitely, in the first inning,” said Rogers, who played for the Marlins from 2020-24. “I had a tough time trying to calm myself down.”
The nerves that came with facing former teammates still didn’t halt Rogers’ resurgence. He continued his recent run of dominance by tossing 6 2/3 terrific innings of one-run ball in the Orioles’ 6-0 loss to the Marlins, a defeat that was no fault of their starting pitcher.
Rogers didn’t yield a hit until Dane Myers’ single to open the fifth. Miami’s only other hit against its former hurler was Myers’ two-out single in the seventh on Rogers’ 99th and final pitch.
The only run charged to Rogers was scored shortly after his departure. Lefty Gregory Soto entered to face the left-handed-hitting Kyle Stowers -- the All-Star outfielder sent to the Marlins in the Rogers trade, alongside infielder Connor Norby -- who was hit by a pitch. Myers came around to score the game’s first run on Derek Hill’s two-out single off Soto.
Rogers had thought about trying to talk his way into staying in the game, while interim manager Tony Mansolino said it was something he considered himself.
“We were going back and forth on it,” Mansolino said. “We felt like that was going to be a huge at-bat in the game. Felt that was their biggest bullet right there, Stowers, and Soto’s been throwing the ball great. ... A lot of thought went into the decision and a lot of consideration, and I think, sometimes, decisions work out better than others.
“That one probably just didn’t work out as good as some of the other ones we’ve made here recently.”
Although the Orioles (43-51) lost for only the second time in eight games as Saturday’s contest got away from them late, Rogers’ performance to end his first half was the story of the day.
Through six MLB starts this year, Rogers has a 1.53 ERA over 35 1/3 innings. It’s been quite a turnaround from the second half of last season, when he had a 7.11 ERA in four starts for Baltimore and was then optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
Many O’s fans on social media criticized the trade at the time -- and throughout this past offseason -- which Rogers was aware of. He was disappointed in himself for letting them down.
Now, Rogers is getting standing ovations in Baltimore, as he did Saturday when a large majority of the announced crowd of 34,332 rose to their feet and showered him with applause.
“That meant the world to me, having that ovation with the fans. It really meant a lot. They love their baseball here,” Rogers said. “It really came full circle. They were tough on me, but at the end of the day, in the back of my mind, I knew I wasn't who I knew I could be.”
Utilizing his extra energy, Rogers’ four-seam fastball was consistently hitting 95-plus mph against the Marlins. His heater induced three of his 13 whiffs, while he got Miami batters to swing and miss at his changeup six times.
Rogers’ eight strikeouts were his most since a nine-K outing for the Marlins on Sept. 12, 2022, against the Rangers in Miami. His catcher that day? Jacob Stallings, his Fish teammate during the ‘22 and ‘23 seasons who now plays for the Orioles and was behind the plate Saturday.
“He’s got two breaking balls now [sweeper and slider] that are both better than the one he had in Miami,” Stallings said. “He started throwing a two-seamer toward the end of when I was catching him, but it’s a real weapon for him now, too. So, a little bit different weapons, but a lot of the same guy, too. He’s just healthy and confident and doing well.”
Rogers has also been a needed boost to a Baltimore starting staff that ranks 28th in MLB with a 5.08 ERA. He’ll aim to build on his success when the season resumes following the All-Star break next week.
“I'm really liking where I'm at,” Rogers said. “But I don't try to focus on the future. I don't dwell on the past, either. I try to just present-moment focus day to day, stay within my process, and it's helping me a lot this year.”