Orioles pitcher continues historic run by shutting down Red Sox

BOSTON — Baltimore Orioles starter Trevor Rogers bookended a historic run on the mound with yet another strong performance on Monday night against the Boston Red Sox.

Rogers lowered his ERA to 1.41 on the season by scattering four hits and allowing just one run over 7.0 innings as the Orioles handed Boston a 6-3 defeat, marking the seventh home loss in the last 11 games for the Red Sox inside Fenway Park.

The 27-year-old Rogers got his first start of the season on May 24 after starting the year on the injured list with a right knee subluxation. That first start came in Boston and he shut out the Red Sox on two hits over 6.2 innings.

In his 12 outings since then, Rogers has been almost untouchable, with his 1.41 ERA marking the lowest ERA through a pitcher's first 12 starts of the season in Orioles history (since 1954).

With his performance on Monday night, the left-hander now leads all MLB pitchers in ERA and WHIP (0.80) among pitchers with at least 70.0 innings this season.

It's a far cry from last year when Rogers posted a 7.11 ERA and made just four starts after being acquired in a trade from the Miami Marlins.

"I'm saying this as humbly as I can. I have the confidence to go out there and know what I'm going to do and just execute my game plan," Rogers said. "A couple of months ago when I came here (Boston), I was like, 'Oh man, let's see how this goes.' A lot of unanswered questions were answered."

There are indeed few questions about what Rogers is bringing to the Orioles over this stretch, pitching at least 6.0 innings with two or fewer runs allowed in eight consecutive starts, the longest streak by an Oriole since Jim Palmer also went eight during the 1978 season.

Palmer, by the way, finished third in American League Cy Young Award voting that season.

It's a fascinating journey for Rogers as the Orioles sent him back to Triple-A after making the first start of this impressive run and he would go 25 days before making his next start and finally staying at the MLB level.

"Nobody knew this was going to happen," Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino. "This is ace-type stuff. I know we're seeing it in a short sample. Aces do it for three or four years but what he's doing right now is ace-type stuff.

"Sometimes, I think the industry is terrified to send a guy down. But if you have the right guy who can handle it, I think in a lot of ways, it's a really good thing for him. I don't know if that's why Trevor is doing what he's doing, but I know it's part of the recipe for him."

Whatever recipe Rogers has, he is certainly cooking at the moment for Baltimore.