The Baltimore Orioles went on an NL West Coast trip through two cities, San Francisco and San Diego, this past week.
A tale of two cities, a tale of two outcomes. The trip ended with a 4-2 record, but it was a 1-2 showing against the Giants where the pitching allowed 28 runs in the two losses before righting the ship and sweeping the Padres.
The fun part of the trip was the returns of Tyler Wells, Albert Suárez and Jorge Mateo from long-term injuries. Also, the late-season rookies put on some fun moments as well.
So, as the Orioles head back to Baltimore for a big three-game series this weekend, let’s take a look at who made The Great, The Good and The Ugly this past week.
The Great: Trevor Rogers
The recently-named AL Pitcher of the Month, Trevor Rogers once again dominated in his start and slowed the Giants down on their postseason push.
During his lone outing, Rogers continued to show why he is at the forefront of the Orioles’ rotation this season and one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Rogers allowed a first-inning home run and then pitched six more innings of shutout ball. He finished with seven total innings, allowing five hits and just one earned run while striking out five. He threw 92 pitches, with 72% of them going for strikes.
Rogers improves to 8-2 on the season with a 1.39 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP across 90.1 innings of work with 81 strikeouts. The 27-year-old has appeared in 14 games, totaling 12 quality starts, and is working his way into the Cy Young conversation.
The Good: Ryan Mountcastle
A name that is starting to come up big in the second half of the season is Ryan Mountcastle.
After a lengthy stay on the IL due to a grade-two hamstring strain, Mountcastle has returned and has shown he still has what it takes to be a strong part of this team. Across the two series, Mounty would go 10-for-23, including three doubles, a home run, six runs scored and seven RBIs.
Mountcastle played in five of the six games, collecting multiple hits in four of them, including a three-hit game in the only win against the Giants. He finished with 16 total bases for the series, showing a knack for hitting to all fields throughout the trip.
For the season, Mountcastle is slashing .266/.304/.381/.685 with five home runs and 30 RBIs. He has totaled 74 hits in 75 games, including 17 doubles, while adding three stolen bases.
The Ugly: Colton Cowser
Between a fractured thumb and a concussion, Colton Cowser has had a difficult year getting himself in proper shape to be at the top of his game.
Unfortunately for Cowser, his offense has taken a hit due to the beating his body has taken. Playing center field has added to that.
Offensively, Cowser has four hits in his last 24 at-bats (.167 avg), though one of those hits was a home run. Cowser also has struck out 11 times over his last six games with no walks, showing that he is pressing at the plate.
Outside of his strong defense, Cowser’s struggles have him slashing .214/.277/.406/.683 for the season. Though he has played in 73 games, he has just 57 total hits, including 12 doubles and 13 home runs. Cowser has driven in 33 runs while scoring 29 and has added nine stolen bases as well.
The Birds return to the East Coast, where they will welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to town for a big weekend set. That series will include the 30th Anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr.’s record-setting consecutive games streak, including pre-game festivities.
As a star-studded Dodgers team and festive-filled weekend will see a few of The Battery members in attendance, be sure to be on the lookout for us to say hi and grab a picture.
Will Rogers, who will pitch Saturday, continue his dominance? Can Mountcastle continue to stay hot as the season winds down? Will Colton Cowser turn things around and get back on track?
Be sure to come back for the next edition of The Great, The Good and The Ugly.
What are your thoughts on our selections this week? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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