Another scoreless Suárez start and homers from Rutschman and Henderson secure Orioles' 4-2 win (updated)

The first Red Sox batter to put a ball in play this afternoon lined it directly into Albert Suárez’s glove. It wasn’t a screamer at 64 mph. It was, however, a good indicator of what the Orioles were getting again from their rotation replacement.

Suárez would keep denying Boston’s hitters and he’d do so in his usual quiet fashion.

The Orioles’ offense was every bit as quiet again until Adley Rutschman, returning to the lineup after being scratched Friday, hit his first home run since July 19.

The former first-overall draft pick coming to the aid of the journeyman with seven years between major league appearances and eight between starts.

Suárez increased his career-high scoreless streak to 17 2/3 innings with six more today, Gunnar Henderson homered for the fourth time in five games, and the Orioles gained a split of the series with a 4-2 victory before an announced crowd of 27,104 at Camden Yards.

The Yankees play tonight and are a half-game ahead of the Orioles (73-52), who avoided their first three-game skid since July 21-24 and the first in three straight days since they dropped five in a row July 9-13.

Seranthony Domínguez inherited a bases-loaded, two-out mess in the eighth and induced a popup, and he recorded his third save with the Orioles after Rob Refsnyder's solo homer off the left field foul pole with one out in the ninth.

The new closer? Maybe not an official declaration from the team, but actions speak loudly.

"We were going to live and die with Domínguez," Hyde said.

Rutschman stood at the plate as Kutter Crawford’s fastball reached the flag court in right field at 409 feet and with a 39-degree launch angle. This wasn’t like the line drive home runs that Henderson and Cedric Mullins hit Thursday night.

Henderson’s blast off left-hander Bailey Horn gave him 33 homers on the season and the Orioles a 4-0 lead as they turned to their bullpen.

The Orioles certainly could use a duo on a simultaneous roll.

"I'm hopeful," said manager Brandon Hyde, whose club finished with only three hits. "I think Adley's going to start swinging the bat better and Gunn swung the bat great this series."

Rutschman pinch-hit last night and caught, and he showed again today that his back discomfort has subsided. Same with his slump.

"I'm really glad to be back," he said. "It's nice to be able to play. It sucks not to play.

"Nice to get runs on the board and nice to see a ball leave the park."

Suárez regained his starter status after Grayson Rodriguez was forced onto the injured list with right lat/teres discomfort, and he hasn’t surrendered a run in his three outings. He scattered seven hits today, all singles, walked none and struck out six. His eight scoreless starts lead the majors, and his ERA is lowered to 3.18.

"It means a lot," Suárez said of his latest opportunity. "Every time I'm out there and be able to help the team and give everything I've got, to me, it's a positive thing. And if I get positive results, it's even better."

Hyde let Suárez go a season-high 99 pitches, the last a 97.3 mph fastball to strike out Connor Wong and strand two runners. Suárez fanned three in the inning.

His next turn is Friday night against the Astros at Camden Yards unless the Orioles try to get creative again to provide a little more rest.

"For me, he's built up to be able to do that and he felt good," Hyde said. "The fastball once again got better as the game went on. His pitch mix has really improved over the course of this year, and a lot more confidence in his changeup against a really tough left-handed-hitting lineup. Really competes well."

Suárez said work in the weight room has contributed to the improved heater "and to be able to stay aggressive the whole time" with it.

"My mentality is just to stay aggressive and attack the hitters," he said. "That's what helped me, what I'm doing off the field under the training staff."

"It's really good," Domínguez said. "He's a big guy. The way that he pitches so smooth on the mound, it surprised me."

The strongest whiff of early trouble for Suárez came in the fourth on consecutive singles by Triston Casas and Rafael Devers with no outs. Tyler O’Neill fell behind 0-2, worked the count full and struck out on a cutter, and Suárez coaxed a fly ball and grounder to keep the game scoreless.

Suárez made a wild throw to first in the fifth inning after scrambling to retrieve David Hamilton’s comebacker that deflected off his glove, putting the go-ahead run at second base with one out. Suárez flashed his stubborn streak again and got out of the jam, striking out Wilyer Abreu on a 96.1 mph fastball.

Two more batters had reached in the sixth when Casas poked a single into right, Suárez struck out the next two and Masataka Yoshida singled on a grounder to Ramón Urías. Yennier Cano and Cionel Pérez were warming, Hyde stayed in the dugout and Wong struck out.

"He bears down really, really well, and there's not a whole lot of panic out there, either," Hyde said. "He's really, really under control and the game doesn't speed up on him."

The magnitude won't faze him.

"For me, I don't see it as big games," he said. "It's just a game where I have to go there and give everything I've got. Every game is a big game, and obviously if the team wins we feel good about it."

Pérez stranded a runner on third base in the seventh, aided by a nice backhand stop and throw from Urías. He returned for the eighth, walked Casas and allowed a double to Devers to lose both left-on-left matchups. Cano, pitching for the fourth time in five games, walked Yoshida with one out, struck out pinch-hitter Mickey Gasper and allowed an RBI single to Ceddanne Rafaela that denied the Orioles their eighth shutout.

Domínguez disposed of Romy González on a foul popup and got through the ninth, striking out three, to leave him with two runs allowed in 10 1/3 innings with the Orioles. This was his first save of more than three outs since Aug. 15, 2018 against the Red Sox.

"The ninth inning is where everybody wants to be, you know?" he said. "It's a big inning, especially for the team, because if you do your job, the game is over. And every time that I get an opportunity, I just think about getting people out.

"That makes me feel really good because I know they believe in me and they trust me, and just want to do my best every time they give me an opportunity."

Crawford retired the first seven Orioles, gave up a single to Mullins and retired the next five before Rutschman’s homer. Duran made a leaping catch on the center field warning track to deny Urías after Mullins’ hit.

Duran sent the liner up the middle that Suárez gloved to begin the game.

Crawford was 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA in five career games against the Orioles. His 27 home runs allowed this season were tied for most in the majors. Rutschman hung a 28^th on him.

The Orioles got a scare when Crawford hit Colton Cowser on the right wrist with an 88.3 mph cutter in the sixth after Urías walked. Cowser stayed in the game, he had an ice wrap over his hand afterward, and the Orioles led 2-0 when Ryan O’Hearn grounded into a force and Rafaela threw past first base attempting to turn the double play. Henderson followed with a two-run shot to right, admiring it the same way as Rutschman before flexing at the dugout and rounding the bases.

No one is stronger these days than Suárez. Who would have guessed it?

"I don't expect results," he said. "I always think about, execute, and for me just execute every pitch and to get ready. I know I have to get ready for the next start and then make sure I execute to be ready to get good results."

"He's competitive, he trusts his stuff and I think he really does a good job of keeping hitters off balance," Rutschman said. "He just comes out with a convicted plan every single time and I think he trusts that his stuff is good. Obviously, everyone else around him believes it and he does. He's doing great."

* The Orioles are starting Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer and Zach Eflin against the Mets at Citi Field.

* Backup catcher James McCann reached 10 years of service time today. His pension is fully vested after he retires.

McCann made his major league debut with the Tigers on Sept. 1, 2014. The Orioles traded for him in the winter of 2022.

* Terrin Vavra hit his third home run for Triple-A Norfolk. J.D. Davis singled in his first three at-bats.

Brandon Young allowed one run and struck out six batters in 5 1/3 innings to leave his ERA at 3.38. Nick Avila has a 67.50 ERA in three games with Norfolk after allowing four runs today in one-third of an inning.

Right-hander Tyler Burch began his injury rehab assignment with High-A Aberdeen and retired the side in order in the first inning. Burch is on Double-A Bowie’s 60-day IL and hadn’t pitched this season.

Trey Gibson allowed one run in four innings of relief.