Orioles fall to Diamondbacks, 4-3, as one bad inning does Trevor Rogers in

BALTIMORE — The Orioles seemed like a freight train that couldn’t be stopped.

They came back from down six runs on Monday to beat the Diamondbacks, their sixth victory in seven games. Their manager inspired the ballclub by showing up to work with a broken jaw and a black eye from taking a line drive to the face the night before. And the offense got off to a quick start with a 2-0 lead.

But, as can often happen in baseball, the script flipped after one bad inning from Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers and one big swing from the Diamondbacks.

Rogers gave up four runs in the fifth inning — three of which scored on an Earl Weaver special from Ildemaro Vargas — and the offense couldn’t complete another comeback as the Orioles lost, 4-3, to end the club’s three-game winning streak.

The Orioles’ best chance to create more magic like they did Monday was in the eighth inning. After Leody Taveras’ RBI single that brought Baltimore within one, Colton Cowser walked to load the bases and bring up Jeremiah Jackson, Monday’s hero after he atoned for hitting a foul liner off Craig Albernaz’s face by blasting two homers, including a grand slam.

But Jackson grounded out softly on the first pitch to end the threat, and the Orioles went down in order in the ninth against Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald.

After the emotion of Monday’s win, Samuel Basallo kept it going with a mammoth blast to center field in the second inning. The 21-year-old slugging sensation crushed a fastball from Merrill Kelly for a 431-foot solo shot to put Baltimore up 1-0. Basallo has struggled to begin his big league career, but lasers like the one he hit Monday serve as evidence of his talent.

Kelly then lost his command in the third inning, walking three batters, including a bases-loaded walk to Taveras to bring home a run, to double the Orioles’ lead.

Rogers, the Orioles’ No. 1 starter, was cruising through four innings and appeared on track for his fourth straight quality start to begin the season. But the Diamondbacks (10-8) cracked Rogers’ code in the fifth to tag the southpaw for four runs on four hits. The rally was kicked off by old friend James McCann, who earned a standing ovation from Baltimore fans before his first at-bat. Rogers then walked Jorge Barrosa and gave up the long ball to Vargas that barely left the yard over the left field wall and past Taylor Ward’s outstretched glove.

Geraldo Perdomo singled with two outs, stole second and scored on a double from Jose Fernandez that put Arizona up 4-2. Rogers was then pulled at 97 pitches before finishing five innings.

Tuesday marked only the third time in 22 starts by Rogers since 2025 that the lefty didn’t complete five innings. It was only the second time he’s given up more than three runs in a start during that span. Despite starting only 18 games last season, Rogers earned an American League Cy Young Award vote by posting a 1.81 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. This year, Rogers has a 3.04 ERA and 1.27 WHIP.

Baltimore’s bats went quiet in the middle innings, but they came alive in the eighth to put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Pete Alonso kicked off the rally with a walk thanks to a successful ABS challenge. Alonso moved to second on a single by Basallo and scored on a single from Taveras, who continued his surprising hot start to the season.

Cowser then walked to load the bases and bring up Jackson, whom Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo showed enough respect for to bring in Ryan Thompson, a sidearmer who got Jackson out on one pitch.

Baltimore is 9-8 and will likely remain tied with the Yankees atop the American League East standings, as New York entered the eighth inning Tuesday down 7-0 to the Angels.