Though Orioles fall to Braves late, Trevor Rogers makes his case for the next big contract

With two of the Orioles’ top starting pitchers under contract for the next five years, owner David Rubenstein suggested Friday the team’s checkbook is still open.

“We are eager to talk to anybody that wants to talk to us about a longer-term relationship,” he said.

Maybe Rubenstein ought to consider Trevor Rogers next.

Just a few hours after the Orioles owner’s open invitation, Rogers continued to make a case for his own payday. In all but one inning of the seven he pitched, the 28-year-old lefty silenced the potent offense of the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves.

But late-inning stumbles cost the Orioles (50-54) in a 7-6 extra-inning loss in their first game at Camden Yards since the All-Star break. A four-run 10th inning broke their back, and the Orioles fell farther behind in the wild-card race with just eight games left before the MLB trade deadline.

With key hitters on the injured list, the Orioles have needed their starters to deliver just to have a chance — and lately that’s what Rogers has been doing.

“It’s definitely a tough one [to lose],” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Rog was outstanding tonight. I mean, he threw the ball extremely well, real efficient, pounding the strike zone. He did an outstanding job for us.”

In his last nine starts, Rogers has given up just 11 earned runs total, no more than three in any appearance. He hasn’t quite matched his dominant run of 2025 that reestablished him as a serious threat, but since June his play is starting to resemble his peak form.

With Shane Baz locked up at the start of the season and Kyle Bradish signing a deal last week, the Orioles’ rotation has a clearer shape for the foreseeable future — but Rogers showed he can pitch like the best of the bunch.

Although his fastball is not overpowering, it plays well, especially with his sweeper and changeup, a combo of pitches that induces weak contact or simply leaves hitters guessing where to lunge. In his latest performance, Rogers struck out six Braves and walked none.

“Especially a lineup like that in the past, they’ve had my number for quite a couple years,” said Rogers, who used to pitch in the same division as Atlanta when he played for the Marlins. “And just to turn out a good one, and give my team a chance to win, I was really happy with that.”

The one exception in the game was the fourth frame, when he gave up three hits and a sac fly. Braves slugger Austin Riley tied the game at 2 with an RBI single to center.

The missing Orioles include Blaze Alexander, Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo, and they tried to make do with a retinkered lineup.

Recent addition Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a key double in the second inning that scored two runs with two outs. In the bottom of the fourth, Leody Taveras laid down a picture-perfect bunt to advance Taylor Ward to third base, then Jackson Holliday whacked a long fly sac fly to bring Ward home for a one-run lead.

But, after Rogers left with a lead, the Baltimore bullpen couldn’t keep it. Rico Garcia surrendered a 389-foot homer to Drake Baldwin that tied the game at 3 in the eighth inning.

Tyler Wells kept the status quo by retiring the side in the ninth, but in the 10th Andrew Kittredge faltered. After a leadoff single, the Orioles coughed up a run on an error by Holliday, who flipped a ball past second base into the outfield.

“I probably should’ve taken a little bit more time, maybe just thrown it over to Pete [Alonso at first base],” Holliday said. “But just trying to get the lead runner to give us a better chance to possibly get a double play, get out of the inning. But I made a good play and made a terrible throw.”

Three batters later, Matt Olson slammed a three-run homer to right center to push the lead to four. Albernaz said the Orioles had agreed to intentionally walk Olson if Kittredge fell behind in the count, but when the reliever went up 1-2, he tried to sneak a fastball past the slugger.

“Just one more pitch,” Albernaz mused, “but Olson put it in the seats.”

The Orioles missed a golden opportunity for a walk-off win in the ninth. Dylan Beavers started a two-out rally with a walk, then Alonso singled to right. The Braves intentionally walked Gunnar Henderson and were a ball away from walking in the winning run with Ward at bat. But Elieser Hernandez threw three straight strikes and got Ward to ground out to third.

The Orioles scored three runs in the 10th inning on a Ward sacrifice fly and Encarnacion-Strand’s two-run homer.

The latest Orioles loss might hasten Rogers’ departure. He has been floated as a trade candidate if the Orioles have to sell at the Aug. 3 deadline because he’s set to become a free agent. Along with Ward, he may have the most valuable expiring contract for the Orioles to deal —unless they decide he’s valuable enough to sign to a new deal now.

If Rogers has his choice, he’ll stay in Baltimore.

“I love this group; we’re right there,” Rogers said. “It was a tough one today, but I trust us to come back tomorrow and get the job done. And hopefully, when the deadline comes and goes, I’m still here. But, at the end of the day, I can’t control that.”

Earlier in the day, at Bradish’s extension news conference, Rubenstein and president of baseball operations Mike Elias expressed confidence that the Orioles can reach the playoffs despite their sub-.500 record.

“We have more than our bad share of luck on injuries,” Rubenstein said, “but I’m hopeful that we now have the team in reasonably good shape.”

Like the present, the future is starting to look clearer, too — at least for the Orioles’ pitching staff. But Rogers’ latest push might entice Baltimore’s ownership group to shell out even more on the mound.

This article has been updated.