Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers had a rough outing Tuesday night, surrendering seven hits and five runs in five innings to open what turned out to be a 9-3 drubbing at the hands of the up-and-coming Washington Nationals.
Disappointing as the outcome was, the 26-year-old left-hander seemed at peace an hour after the final out as he took a microphone on a makeshift stage in front of thousands of people in the lower bowl at Camden Yards and spoke of what matters to him — and many of his new teammates — even more than the outcome of a game in the battle for first place in the American League East.
When he was swapped from the Miami Marlins to the Orioles at the trade deadline two weeks ago, Rogers said at the Orioles’ first Faith Night promotion, it brought an upsetting level of uncertainty, but trusting in his Christian faith calmed the waters and left him feeling he was exactly where he was meant to be.
“The timing — the first Faith Night, my first start in Baltimore, that’s God [working] right there,” Rogers said with an amazed shake of the head, to the cheers of the roughly 6,000 people who stayed after the game for the event. “To be around such a good group of guys, such good Christian guys … this is really fun, and I’m so happy to be here in Baltimore.”
