The Orioles acquired Corbin Burnes this offseason to elevate their rotation.

Baltimore’s magical 2023 season came crashing down in the playoffs against the Texas Rangers largely because of its rotation’s struggles, and general manager Mike Elias fortified his starting pitching corps by trading for the bona fide ace.

Burnes proved his value again Thursday with a splendid start in the Orioles’ first game against the Rangers since they ended Baltimore’s season.

Albert Suárez was even better Friday.

Suárez bounced back from his recent struggles to look more like the feel-good story he was for much of the first half, tossing six scoreless innings to lead the Orioles to a 2-1 win over the Rangers at Camden Yards. Baltimore’s bullpen was shaky and its bats were mostly quiet, but both did just enough for the club’s third straight win.

Colton Cowser provided the biggest hit of the night with a solo home run off Rangers starter Max Scherzer in the fourth inning, while closer Craig Kimbrel slammed the door in the ninth for his 435th career save, moving him into a tie for fifth on MLB’s all-time list.

Suárez, the definition of a baseball journeyman, emerged earlier this season, seemingly out of nowhere, as a key part of the Orioles’ pitching staff. Two weeks ago, he sported a sparkling 1.61 ERA between the rotation and bullpen, helping fill key holes in both, especially the former which lost three members to season-ending elbow surgery.

But the 34-year-old right-hander struggled mightily in his next two starts, allowing 16 hits and eight runs in 8 2/3 innings. It seemed the pixie dust surrounding Suárez had disappeared, and with Dean Kremer potentially returning to the rotation from the injured list next week, Suárez appeared destined for the bullpen.

Instead, on Friday, Suárez made his case to remain a starter, surrendering only three hits and not walking a batter — he issued eight free passes across his previous two outings — in six scoreless innings against Rangers, who have lost five in a row. He filled the zone with his mix of four-seam fastballs, changeups and cutters, allowing his defense to do the work — and that it did.

“That was excellent, especially rebounding off his past two,” Cowser said. “He really established the strike zone early and kept hitters off balance. We really needed that tonight.”

Texas (37-45) laced nine batted balls faster than 95 mph, including four that were caught by Orioles outfielders on the warning track. Three would’ve left the yard in other MLB ballparks, including two to left field that would’ve been gone at Camden Yards before the left field wall was drastically moved back.

But that good fortune is what often happens to pitchers who fill up the zone, and that’s how Suárez was able to go a season-high six innings. In fact, it’s the first time he’s completed six frames in a major league game in 2,918 days. The last time was July 3, 2016, in his rookie season with the San Francisco Giants before he bounced around between professional leagues in Japan, Korea and Mexico and then serendipitously landed with Baltimore.

“Throwing the ball in the strike zone,” Suárez said about what made him successful. “Today I was just trying to pitch to contact. They were aggressive the whole time, and I was be able to get quick outs.”

Suárez and Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, traded zeros until Cowser’s 408-foot home run to center field. Jorge Mateo then used his quickness to generate what amounted to the winning run in the fifth. The speedster led off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a rare tag-up from first on a flyout to right field and raced home on a single from Gunnar Henderson.

Relievers Yennier Cano, Jacob Webb and Cionel Pérez combined to walk five batters in the seventh and eighth innings, but Webb and Pérez buckled down to record key outs and strand five runners to maintain the lead. Kimbrel then retired the side in order in the ninth for his 18th save of the season, his first when entering with a one-run lead. He was previously 0-for-4 in such situations.

“We got lucky a little bit,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “You can’t walk five guys in the seventh and eighth against a team like that with a two-run lead and expect to win. I think we escaped one there.”

Baltimore is 52-30 and remains tied atop the American League East with the New York Yankees (53-31), who defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 16-5 on Friday.

Around the horn

n Adley Rutschman didn’t play Friday after taking a foul tip off his throwing hand Thursday. He remained in Thursday’s game and hit a home run with the bruised hand. “It feels better now than it did when he woke up,” Hyde said before Friday’s game. Infielder Jordan Westburg also received a rare day off.

n Orioles ace Corbin Burnes was placed on the paternity list before Friday’s game after he pitched seven innings of one-run ball Thursday. Hyde said Burnes will meet the team in Seattle for its series next week before determining when he will make his next start. It’s possible he could make his start on schedule Wednesday. A player can only be on MLB’s paternity list for three games.

n To fill Burnes’ spot on the active roster, the Orioles recalled left-hander Matt Krook from Triple-A Norfolk. The 29-year-old reliever posted a 3.71 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings with the Tides this season. Baltimore acquired Krook from the Yankees in a cash trade this offseason. It’s likely he is returned to Triple-A before Tuesday’s series opener versus the Mariners when Burnes is activated off the paternity list.

n The Orioles announced the signings of MLB veterans Niko Goodrum and Burch Smith to minor league contracts on Friday. Goodrum, a 32-year-old infielder, has played 415 career MLB games with five teams, mostly the Detroit Tigers, and is a career .224 hitter. He’s appeared in 13 games with the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels this season. Smith, a 34-year-old right-handed reliever, has appeared in 127 games for six MLB teams since 2013 with a career 5.79 ERA. He posted a 4.25 ERA in 29 2/3 innings with the Miami Marlins earlier this season.

n Utilityman Nick Maton cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to Norfolk on Thursday. Maton, who played two innings at second base and did not receive an at-bat during his five games with the Orioles, was designated for assignment Monday when the club recalled outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad.