Josh Rogers wins major league debut, Orioles beat Blue Jays 12-5

In a season where the Orioles’ winning percentage is below .300, a prospect making his major league debut passes for excitement. Josh Rogers picked up the win in his debut and the offense once again put runs up in bunches, leading the O’s to a 12-5 victory over the Blue Jays. Baltimore has won two in a row and secured a series victory.

Rogers (1-0), acquired in July from the Yankees for Zach Britton, allowed three runs in five innings en route to his first career win. He gave up seven hits and one walk while striking out one on 85 pitches. As advertised, he wasn’t overpowering; his fastball sat at 90 MPH and occasionally touched 91. His fastball command was solid but he had a problem locating his offspeed pitches. He started very strong, allowing one baserunner in three innings on 39 pitches. He ran out of gas in his last two innings and gave up a two run homer in the fifth that bloated his bottom line. Overall, it was a good first showing.

The O’s offense scored early and often to back Rogers. Tim Beckham and Craig Gentry each homered and had three RBI. Chris Davis drove in three runs and Jonathan Villar and Adam Jones each pitched in an RBI. Oriole batters knocked out seventeen base hits, including three from Villar, Gentry, and Davis. Jones collected four base hits, the 22nd time in his career he’s done that. The offense has been fun to watch over the past two games.

It took the Orioles less than an inning to generate more offense against Jays starter Thomas Pannone (1-1) than they managed against him last week. Trey Mancini doubled with two outs and Adam Jones followed that up with a single to create a first and third, two out situation. Chris Davis delivered a single over the shift to give the O’s an early 1-0 lead.

The O’s extended their lead in the third inning. With one out, Mancini shot what looked to be a routine fly ball to right-center field. The ball kept carrying on a hot, humid Baltimore night and barely made it over Kevin Pillar’s glove and missed a home run by inches. Mancini wound up at third. Jones then singled to give the O’s a 2-0 lead. Davis singled to bring Tim Beckham to the plate with two on and one out. He drilled a three-run homer to left field to open up a five run lead. MASN measured the exit velocity of the dinger at 102 MPH.

As mentioned earlier, Rogers breezed through three innings. But facing batters for a second time created some trouble for him and Toronto made an immediate attempt to dig out of that deficit. Devon Travis and Justin Smoak led off with singles. Randal Grichuk flied to right but Pillar then singled to make the score 5-1. Teoscar Hernandez appeared to hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, but the call at first was overturned. Rogers issued his first walk of the game to load the bases with two outs. But he struck out Aledmys Diaz to end the inning.

The O’s struck again in the fourth. Jonathan Villar singled sharply with one out and stole his seventh base in as many chances as an Oriole. Craig Gentry took a Pannone offering deep into the left field seats to extend the O’s lead to 7-1. Gentry’s first home run of the season was the shot that chased Pannone from the game. After throwing seven shutout innings against the O’s in his first big league start, he allowed seven runs in 3.1 innings tonight. Joe Biagini entered the game and got out of the inning.

The Jays scored again off of Rogers in the fifth. After a Lourdes Gurriel one-out single, Rogers worked Smoak to a 3-2 count with two outs. Smoak hit a two-run homer to bring the Jays within four runs. Grichuk singled, but Pillar popped out to end the rally. Buck Showalter seemed intent on getting Rogers through five innings to qualify for the win, and he did that.

Baltimore got those runs right back in the fifth. Beckham and Renato Nunez were hit by Biagini pitches to start the frame and both came around to score. Villar singled to plate a run and that was followed up by a Gentry single to run the score to 9-3. Gentry tried to take second base on the throw home but was gunned down, otherwise the rally may have continued.

Ryan Meisinger relieved Rogers in the sixth and allowed the first two batters to reach, including one on a four pitch walk. (Jim Palmer was not pleased.) But he responded by striking out the side. Mike Wright Jr. pitched the seventh and got two quick outs before running into trouble. He allowed a solo homer to Grichuk and then back to back singles. Danny Jansen flied out to the back of the warning track to end the threat. Wright stayed in the game for a second inning, throwing a scoreless eighth inning.

The Orioles scored a three on four hits in the eighth inning to reach double digit runs scored. Villar and Gentry singled with one out and Mancini brought Villar home with a sacrifice fly. After a Jones single, his fourth of the game, Davis plated two with a double.

Tanner Scott came out of the bullpen to protect an eight run lead in the ninth. He allowed one run on a hit and a walk, but struck out Teoscar Hernandez to secure the victory.

The Orioles will look to complete the sweep tomorrow night at 7:05. Alex Cobb (4-15, 5.00) will look to get his ERA under five for the first time this season. Ryan Borucki (3-3, 4.12) will oppose him for Toronto.