Trevor Rogers named AL Pitcher of the Month

SAN DIEGO – The rest of baseball also recognizes Trevor Rogers’ brilliance on the mound.

Rogers was named the American League’s Pitcher of the Month for August, while Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta won the honor in the National League.

Rogers is the 14^th Oriole to earn the distinction and the first since Corbin Burnes last September. Erik Bedard was the last left-hander in 2007.

This is the first time that Rogers has won it.

It was fairly predictable.

Across six starts, the 27-year-old Rogers went 4-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 0.86 WHIP, allowing six earned runs and 30 hits in 42 innings with six walks, 41 strikeouts and a .199 opponents’ batting average. He led the majors in innings, ranked first in the AL and third in the majors in ERA and WHIP, and tied for fifth in strikeouts. Rogers also was the only pitcher in the majors with a complete game last month.

Rogers is the first Oriole to log at least 40 innings in a month since Chris Tillman threw 40 1/3 in August 2013. He’s the first with at least 40 strikeouts and 40 innings in a month since Bedard in July 2007.

There’s more, of course. It’s that kind of a season.

Rogers became the first Orioles starter to make four consecutive starts of at least seven innings since Tillman in July 2016. He’s the first Oriole to throw at least six innings and allow two runs or fewer in 10 consecutive starts.

Rogers has allowed two runs or less in a career-best and franchise-record 12 consecutive starts since June 23. His current streak surpasses the previous Orioles record of 10 straight by Milt Pappas in 1964. He also became the first pitcher in franchise history to make at least five starts and allow one run or fewer in every outing in a month.

No Orioles starter has posted a 1.39 ERA in his first 14 starts to a season.

Rogers will be on the mound again this weekend against the Dodgers at Camden Yards.

The Orioles go for the three-game sweep this afternoon, concluding their West Coast swing as an off-day approaches.

Left-hander Cade Povich is 2-7 with a 5.04 ERA and 1.429 WHIP in 18 games (16 starts). He’s struck out 100 batters in 91 innings.

Right-handers are batting .269/.330/.429 against Povich, and left-handers are batting .289/.341/.542.

Only two Padres have faced Povich. Freddy Fermin is 1-for-3 with an RBI and Gavin Sheets is 0-for-3.

Padres left-hander Nestor Cortes was an Orioles Rule 5 Draft pick in 2017. The Brewers traded him to San Diego at the deadline and he’s posted a 3.75 ERA and 1.333 WHIP in five starts. He shut out the Dodgers on one hit over six innings on Aug. 23.

Cortes has registered a 2.20 ERA and 0.994 WHIP in 11 career appearances against the Orioles.

The current Orioles roster is a combined 13-for-68 (.191) with a .575 OPS against Cortes. Ryan Mountcastle is 4-for-24 with a double, home run and 12 strikeouts. Gunnar Henderson is 1-for-10 with six strikeouts.

Alex Jackson is 1-for-5 with a home run.