The Orioles didn’t need to do much early today besides show up.

They walked seven times in the first three innings, twice with the bases loaded, to snap out of their scoring funk. The Guardians made it easy on them. The bat resting on a shoulder did more damage than a swing.

Trevor Rogers was a contrast in control, registering another quality start in his role as stopper and leaving to a loud ovation in the Orioles’ suddenly tense 6-4 victory over the Guardians before an announced 21,612 at Camden Yards.

Pinch-hitter Nathaniel Lowe belted a three-run homer off Andrew Kittredge in the ninth. Kittredge left with two outs and Josh Walker notched his first career save.

“I’m just happy we got the win,” said Walker, who hasn’t allowed a run in 14 games since Aug. 6. “That’s all that matters. We’re trying to get every win we can right now in the race we’re in, so it’s good to be there for the team and be able to do my job.

“I’m confident in attacking the strike zone and I’m just expecting the call to come for me and just try to stay ready every time out there. It feels like the staff trusts me a little bit now, at this point, and I’m just trying to go attack guys and do my job whenever my name’s called.”

Eleven relievers have recorded a save this season to break the club record set in 1987.

“With (Ryan) Helsley being down for pretty much all year, guys had to step up, and they have,” said manager Craig Albernaz. “Every single one of them.”

“I think everybody’s got confidence out there,” Walker said. “We’ve got great chemistry in the ‘pen, and we’re always pulling for each other and keeping things light out there. We’re all ready to get the ball whenever the phone rings. And that’s how you’ve got to be when we’re in the position we’re in. All hands on deck.”

Coby Mayo produced his first career multi-homer game and the eighth by an Oriole this season, sprinkling in some aggression with all the patience, and the losing streak ended at six games. The Orioles (70-75) moved three behind the last Wild Card, which is held by the Guardians but could be shared with the Blue Jays depending on tonight’s result in Sacramento.

Mayo hit his 16th homer against a left-hander, launching a Joey Cantillo fastball 426 feet at 110.2 mph leading off the third. Blaze Alexander drew an 11-pitch, bases-loaded walk off reliever Franco Aleman with two outs, Pete Alonso also walked, and the Orioles led 4-0.

They sent nine batters to the plate. Leaving the bases full in back-to-back innings wasn’t going to hurt.

Right-hander Slade Cecconi tossed two scoreless innings, came back out for the sixth and surrendered Mayo’s 21st homer of the season, a 411-foot, two-run shot that gave the Orioles a 6-1 lead.

The Orioles scored their most runs since Aug. 30 in Sacramento. Their 31 games with six or more walks are the most by an Orioles team since 1999 (35).

“The second half of the season, he’s shown that he’s resilient,” Albernaz said of Mayo. “I mean, going through the the first half, it’s just like any young player navigating the ups and downs of the season. He did a great job of of doing that. Now you look up, he has two of them today, his 20th and 21st of the year. One off a lefty, which he’s been handling extremely well, and one off a righty. He’s getting more confidence.”

Mayo extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He’s the seventh Orioles right-handed batter with a 20-homer season before turning 25 along with Ryan Mountcastle, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Cal Ripken Jr., Gary Roenicke and Ron Hansen.

“It always feels good, no matter what the arm. But obviously, given the year I’ve had vs. lefties versus. righties, it feels really good to do it versus a righty,” Mayo said.

Twenty homers “is definitely a cool accomplishment,” Mayo added. “You don’t go into the year chasing numbers, but I think when the year plays out, you kind of see what’s going on, and it’s been really cool. It’s been a cool year for me personally, but obviously, more happy that we got the win today and a step in the right direction. Just want to keep that going.”

Rogers allowed one run and six hits with no walks and six strikeouts in a season-high 7 1/3 innings for his career-high 10th victory. He came out after his 104th pitch with his ERA sliced from 4.30 to 4.15 and acknowledged the standing ovation by touching the bill of his cap and raising his hand.

Rogers pounded the zone again today. Seventy-one of his 94 pitches were strikes in Colorado, when he fanned a career-high 11. Thirty-two of 41 were strikes today through the third inning and 47 of 63 through the fifth, when he faced the minimum number of batters.

“That’s the name of my game. Throw a lot of strikes, throw a lot of competitive strikes and move the ball around,” Rogers said.

“They’re a really talented team over there, really scrappy lineup, so I wasn’t gonna change nothing. Just execute my pitches and see what happened.”

Steven Kwan’s ground ball shot into center field for a leadoff single in the first and Joe Adell grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Rogers retired 16 in a row before Brayan Rocchio’s two-out bunt single in the sixth. Kwan followed with a bloop single inside the left field line at 65.9 mph and Adell doubled on a fly ball at 71.3 mph that hit the right field line.

Angel Martínez led off the seventh with a double, but the Orioles turned a 5-4-3 double play.

Most of the contact was soft against Rogers, who’s strung together seven home quality starts in a row for the longest streak since Corbin Burnes’ nine in 2024. Austin Hedges led off the eighth with a swinging bunt single, but Rico Garcia stranded him.

Today felt like a must-win game, but Rogers didn’t think about it.

“It wasn’t on my mind at all,” he said. “We’ve got to do as good of a job of flushing, learning from it but also flushing the past and focusing on present. It doesn’t really matter where we’re at in the season in terms of our preparation and how we go about the game. Our backs are up against the wall, but it feels like it’s been like that for the majority of the year and that’s when we play our best baseball. We got the job done today and get ready for tomorrow and get the job done.”

Can’t control Cantillo

Cantillo is tied for most walks issued in the majors, and he stayed on brand today.

Alexander and Alonso were given free passes to begin the bottom of the first inning, but they were stranded. Center fielder Petey Halpin made a diving catch to rob Jackson Holliday, Mayo struck out on a 3-2 changeup and Gunnar Henderson swung at the next pitch and flied to center field.

Samuel Basallo was hit near the left elbow with an 80.7 mph changeup with one out, yelling in pain and receiving a visit from an athletic trainer. Rece Hinds walked and Dylan Beavers lined a left-on-left, run-scoring double to right field.

The Orioles had scored only once in 27 innings before today.

Alexander struck out looking and lost the team’s last challenge. Alonso was hit by an 82 mph curveball to load the bases and Holliday bounced into a force.

At least Cantillo doesn’t bring the heat when he misfires.

Cantillo has walked 77 batters in 144 innings to catch Robbie Ray for most in the majors, but he managed to bring a 3.81 ERA into today’s game.

“Joey is a high-walk guy, but he also has elite swing-and-miss stuff, so you can’t fall into that trap where you’re swinging and missing and get outside your approach,” said Albernaz, whose club was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12. “You have to be stubborn, shrink the zone big time with Joey, because his curveball is an elite pitch. His changeup is, as well, and he has a really good fastball. You really have to shrink the zone on him, and our guys did that.

“He made some really good pitches. Like, we had first and second in the first inning, got out of it. He got out of another jam. So yes, swing and miss stuff, but ultimately we had to shrink the zone on him. The guys stuck with their approach and it paid dividends.”

Hinds catchup

Hinds singled twice and walked twice in his second game with the Orioles. He doubled yesterday.

The Orioles recalled Hinds after Luis Robert Jr. injured his left hamstring. He’s a career .186 hitter in 54 major league games spread over three seasons. He’s also played for the Reds and Marlins this year.

In 19 games with Triple-A Norfolk, Hinds batted .268/.373/.437 with six doubles and two homers and was 6-for-14 this month.

“He’s managing the at-bat well,” Albernaz said.

“He’s an athlete, everything we knew coming in, prospect pedigree.”

Umpire update

Umpire Chris Guccione was struck on the mask by a foul tip from Martínez leading off the top of the second inning, causing a lengthy delay and some assignment changes.

First base umpire James Jean also walked off the field, put on the necessary gear and returned to work home plate.

Martínez got a piece of a 93.8 mph fastball. Basallo immediately turned and sprung from his crouch to check on Guccione. Martínez struck out on the next pitch after play resumed.

The crew was short-handed, but a substitute ump will be summoned for the rest of the series if Cuccione doesn’t return.

“With Guccione, that was tough,” Albernaz said. “You never want to see an umpire go down like that. They’re kind of just a sitting duck behind there.”

Rogers said he just had to focus on the batters and not let the switch become disruptive to his start.

“Kind of uncharted territory for me, changing umpires like that,” Rogers said. “It’s the same strike zone. We’ve got challenges for a reason. There was one close, trust Sammy to do the job back there, and my game plan really doesn’t change a whole lot.”