Trevor Rogers looks nothing like the pitcher acquired at last year’s trade deadline. It’s one of the best developments for the Orioles all year.

Rogers blanked the Texas Rangers over eight dominant innings Monday to lead the Orioles to a 6-0 win, allowing just three hits and flashing 96 mph on the radar gun — the fastest he’s thrown in an MLB game since 2023. He became the first Orioles starter to complete eight innings since Kyle Bradish on Sept. 26, 2023 against the Washington Nationals.

“To be honest, I don’t even really think about how long I go, how short I go,” Rogers said. “I just focus on pitch execution, and if I go long that day, I know I’m doing my job. And if I go a little bit shorter, it’s just the way the game goes. Really, I was pumped to be out there in the eighth. First time, I think, in my career that I went that far. But the game plan didn’t change in the eighth inning. Really just focusing on executing, that’s it.”

Jackson Holliday tied his career high with four RBIs, three of which came on a left-on-left home run to the opposite field with two outs in the fifth, to pace the offense.

Postgame analysis

The Orioles’ rotation has lacked a dominant left-hander for the entirety of Camden Yards’ dimension-altered era. Rogers was acquired to help fix that and while his resurgence is coming after the club moved the left field wall back out a bit, he’s still one of the players who stands to benefit most from the park’s more neutral environment compared to its pre-2022 dimensions.

What they’re saying

Rogers on the mechanical changes he made to rediscover his upper-90s velocity:

By the numbers

Holliday didn’t start often against left-handed pitchers earlier this season and through May 16 — the final day of former manager Brandon Hyde’s tenure — he was slashing .240/.321/.280 against them. In his 33 games since, he’s put up a slash line of .293/.310/.512. He’s not yet reaching base at a clip expected out of a leadoff hitter when facing left-handers but his power is starting to break through.

On deck

Charlie Morton is scheduled to take the ball Tuesday as he looks to stay hot after allowing one run over six innings against the Rays his last time out. The 42-year-old carries a 2.29 ERA since May 10 and he’s completed at least five innings in four of his past five outings. Texas has yet to announce either of its starters for the final two games of the season.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrichand instagram.com/bymattweyrich.The Orioles (34-44) have won the opening game in six of their past nine series. They’re 19-16 under interim manager Tony Mansolino.

Left-handers have given the Orioles fits this season but they’ve suddenly won four straight games when facing left-handed starters. The Rangers’ Patrick Corbin appeared poised to break up that trend as he cruised over the first four innings; the only damage against him came on back-to-back doubles by Chadwick Tromp and Jackson Holliday for a run in the third.

However, Corbin unraveled in the fifth as Coby Mayo and Cedric Mullins each singled before Holliday took a 3-1 sinker down in the zone and shot it 402 feet into the Orioles’ bullpen in left-center field. Holliday, who was second in voting among American League second basemen in Monday’s All-Star ballot update, is hitting .263 with nine homers and a .731 OPS this year.

“After that swing, I told whoever was standing next to me, I was like, ‘This is your leadoff hitter, at least for the next five years.’ Left- or right-handed, I don’t think this kid goes anywhere else in the lineup,” Mansolino said. “I took him out of the leadoff spot against (Tarik) Skubal. I don’t think I’ll ever do that. I think he’s probably staying there, barring something unforeseen.”

When asked what that level of confidence from Mansolino meant to Holliday, he replied, “Yeah it’s really cool to hear that. It means a lot to have his trust and to be able to lead off for such a great team and hopefully set the tone for a while.”

It was more than enough run support for Rogers, who relied on an even mix of four-seam fastballs, changeups and sinkers with the occasional slider to keep the Rangers in check. Rogers missed the start of the year with a knee injury and began his season with Triple-A Norfolk, but he’s since turned in perhaps the two best starts by a Baltimore pitcher in 2025.

The Orioles traded Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to the Miami Marlins for Rogers on July 30 last season and he struggled mightily, posting a 7.11 ERA over four starts before being demoted to Triple-A. His return to Baltimore has produced completely different results, with the lone exception over his first three outings a three-run, 2 1/3-inning performance against the Tampa Bay Rays in the sweltering heat of St. Petersburg, Florida, last week.

“I knew deep down what I could do for this organization, and I wasn’t doing it,” Rogers said. “I just put too much pressure on myself and self-doubt crept in and a bunch of other things. But I look back now and thankful for that. Really, I had to take a hard look in the mirror and figure some things out and just get better.”

Given another turn of the rotation with Cade Povich on the injured list, Rogers bounced back in impressive fashion even with a first-pitch game temperature of 100 degrees at Camden Yards. He threw 72 of his 101 pitches for strikes and didn’t allow a single walk. All three hits against him were singles even as the Rangers stacked their lineup with nine right-handed hitters.

“He was gonna need the changeup against a right-handed lineup,” Mansolino said. “That was kind of a prerequisite for the night. And in the first inning he threw a couple and you thought, ‘OK, this is gonna be OK tonight.’ But then just the way the fastball jumped through the zone tonight, that was impressive. I think it was in the eighth inning there were some 95s up on the board.”

Baltimore tacked on two additional insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings to make the victory an easy one. Mayo brought the first home on an RBI groundout with the bases loaded and Ramón Urías scored the other with a sacrifice fly.

Andrew Kittredge handled the ninth to finish off the win.

Postgame analysis: The Orioles’ rotation has lacked a dominant left-hander for the entirety of Camden Yards’ dimension-altered era. Rogers was acquired to help fix that and while his resurgence is coming after the club moved the left field wall back out a bit, he’s still one of the players who stands to benefit most from the park’s more neutral environment compared to its pre-2022 dimensions.

Rogers’ best season came in 2021 when he allowed just six home runs in 133 innings. His home run rate more than doubled over the next three seasons and, along with struggles to limit walks, proved to be one of the biggest contributors to his harsh regression. Now, Rogers has yet to allow a homer through three starts with the Orioles and he has a real chance to be the left-hander starter this team has been lacking.

What they’re saying: Rogers on the mechanical changes he made to rediscover his upper-90s velocity:

“Just something that’s really clicking for me right now is staying closed with my chest. I think when I, I wouldn’t say develop bad habits, but I don’t lock in to that cue mentally, I kind of rush and my chest gets open and I noticed that the velocity ticks down a little bit more. So, it’s a very simple cue for me, keeping my chest closed until my foot lands and then rotate as hard as I can.”

By the numbers: Holliday didn’t start often against left-handed pitchers earlier this season and through May 16 — the final day of former manager Brandon Hyde’s tenure — he was slashing .240/.321/.280 against them. In his 33 games since, he’s put up a slash line of .293/.310/.512. He’s not yet reaching base at a clip expected out of a leadoff hitter when facing left-handers but his power is starting to break through.

On deck: Charlie Morton is scheduled to take the ball Tuesday as he looks to stay hot after allowing one run over six innings against the Rays his last time out. The 42-year-old carries a 2.29 ERA since May 10 and he’s completed at least five innings in four of his past five outings. Texas has yet to announce either of its starters for the final two games of the season.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich @baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.