One year later, Trevor Rogers delivers again at Fenway Park

BOSTON — A year ago, this is where it all started for Trevor Rogers, a phoenix from the ashes. A forgotten man to that point of the 2025 season, Rogers arrived at Fenway Park as the 27th player for a May doubleheader and pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings.

From then on, he was the brightest part of a dismal season. He managed a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts, becoming a left-handed workhorse worthy of Cy Young Award consideration.

Rogers has fallen far from that level in recent months, and he entered Thursday’s series finale with a 6.84 ERA. Even in his last outing, when he flew through six innings, a late stumble in the seventh led to four runs and played a role in a blown lead. But, back at the park where his comeback began a little more than a year ago, Rogers produced one of his best starts this year.

He held the Red Sox hitless until the fifth inning. And, while Boston scored in the sixth and manager Craig Albernaz removed him early rather than too late, this was a more Rogers-esque start than most others this season.

Given the walloping Baltimore delivered to Boston right-hander Brayan Bello, Rogers had ample wiggle room. He made sure the Orioles maintained the lopsided lead en route to their series-clinching 8-2 victory.

“I don’t know what it is. It’s just the sight seems really good for me,” Rogers said of his career success at Fenway Park. “They seem really close for whatever reason. I just love pitching here, and it’s worked out. At the end of the day, I’m just glad I got the boys a W.”

Baltimore (30-33) has won nine of its last 13 games, allowing the club to hang in the wild-card hunt despite a poor start to the year.

“During this stretch, we’ve been playing the baseball we should’ve been playing all year. ... And hopefully we keep it rolling,” outfielder Taylor Ward said.

The turnaround for much of the last two weeks has been powered by the Orioles’ rotation, which has produced a 2.74 ERA during this 13-game stretch — 75 2/3 innings with 23 earned runs against.

But the offense gave Rogers a hefty lead before he even took the mound. Bello, whom the Orioles tagged for 13 hits and eight runs earlier this season, was outmatched immediately once again.

Ward set the tone with a first-pitch double to center field, and he went on to record an RBI single later in the first inning once Baltimore batted around. Between Ward’s first knock and his second, Adley Rutschman and Leody Taveras drove RBI singles and Coby Mayo cleared the bases with a three-run double off the Green Monster.

The Red Sox might’ve gotten out of that inning earlier had interim manager Chad Tracy successfully challenged a call at third base. On Taveras’ single, Samuel Basallo ran first to third. He lost contact with the bag on his slide, and third baseman Caleb Durbin might’ve tagged him out. Tracy tried to challenge it, signaling with his hands, but it appeared his attempt came too late and the game continued.

After what might have been a third out, Baltimore scored four more times — the six runs were the most the team has scored in a first inning this season.

“It was a great job by our offense coming out ready from pitch one,” Albernaz said.

Added Ward: “Whenever you can jump out to a big lead like that, it’s great. I think it helps our starter that day, as well. Hopefully today was the start of something.”

The Orioles added two against Bello in the fifth through Basallo’s RBI double and Colton Cowser’s sacrifice fly.

Ward had endured a mini slump heading into this series — an 0-for-14 stretch, including Tuesday’s series opener. Then he produced consecutive three-hit days. He said Monday’s day off gave him a chance to “decompress and reset,” but he also planned what he’d work on in the batting cage Tuesday.

“I know the first game here didn’t go the way I wanted, but still, stuck with it, still have been working on it, and I’ll continue that and take it into Toronto,” Ward said.

With all that run support, Rogers cruised until Andruw Monasterio doubled with one out in the fifth inning to mark the first hit against him. A second hit followed, but Rogers let out a fist pump when he forced an inning-ending double play.

Right before that double play, Rogers felt his pace on the mound quicken. The timing of his windup and release is important, and when he’s too quick, it can lead to big misses. But, once he recognized he was slipping into a bad habit with two runners on and a first-pitch ball to Carlos Narváez, Rogers settled.

“I told myself, ‘Slow down.’ That’s why I executed the [1-0] sinker, double play,” he said. “That’s kind of when it clicked.”

More traffic arrived in the sixth, and with two outs and one run across, Albernaz walked to the mound. He engaged in a lengthy discussion, and if he considered leaving Rogers in for the final out, Albernaz avoided the temptation. Last week, when Rogers stretched into the seventh, four runs scored in quick succession. The leash Thursday was tighter.

Even so, the 5 2/3 innings from Rogers here — the site of his return one year ago — marked another step in the right direction for the southpaw.

“He was really efficient,” Albernaz said. “Defense did a great job behind him, and it was fun to see Rog go out there and have the outing he did.”

This article has been updated.