ARLINGTON, Texas — Grayson Rodriguez has passed one test already.

In the first half of the season, Rodriguez showed — with the exception of three starts, including his last one against the Yankees — that he can be consistent at the major league level. Now, he needs to show he can do it for a full season, something he has yet to do early in his career.

His agenda for the second half is threefold: erase those rough outings, improve fastball command and learn the difference between pitching and throwing. His talent is undoubtedly there — it always has been, even in his up-and-down rookie season last year that saw him sent back to Triple-A after 10 outings. Now he just needs to put the rest of the pieces together.

“There’s nothing like big league hitters,” he said. “I think taking each start, the positives and negatives from them. Being able to flush bad starts, being able to extend a streak of good starts. I think there’s a lot that’s been learned in a little over a year.”

Saturday, in the same stadium where he made his debut in April 2023, was another passing grade for him, as he pitched a quality start against the Rangers. Rodriguez threw 103 pitches — 70 strikes — in six innings as he allowed just two runs in the Orioles’ 8-4 win.

“It’s where it started; it feels pretty cool,” Rodriguez, who is also from the state, said. “It feels like so long ago. I’m just trying to get a little bit better each start.”

This is what the Orioles will need from him. Baltimore slated him for the second game out of the break because, simply put, he is the No. 2 starter. The Orioles want as many starts out of him as they can get, especially if they look like this one.

Rodriguez only got sharper as the game went on. He gave up a leadoff walk to Marcus Semien, then grinded through six batters in the second, the Rangers scoring their only two runs that inning. He felt rusty, he said, from the seven-day layoff between starts and just needed to zone in.

From there, Rodriguez found his groove and felt more comfortable. He retired eight of his next nine batters, ending the fifth with his pitch count in the mid-80s, just enough to make it through another inning but only if he was efficient.

“As the game went on, his fastball got even better,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He stepped on it to get us some big outs.”

As the Orioles batted in the top of the sixth, Rodriguez paced the dugout. He came back out for the bottom of the sixth, getting Josh Smith swinging on his fastball. Rodriguez did the same to Wyatt Langford for the second out.

Against Adolis García, he needed just four pitches to get the job done, García also striking out swinging on a 97.1 mph fastball. Rodriguez’s 103rd, and final pitch, was one of his hardest thrown of the day. He screamed and clapped his glove as he walked off the mound, as has become his signature at the end of a good day.

“I thought he battled through the sixth inning today,” Hyde said. “I didn’t think he was totally on. but he gave up only two runs through six. That’s a pretty good day.”

He wasn’t the only one to have a good day. The Orioles sent likely future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer packing after just two innings and 53 pitches, the veteran starter giving up four earned runs, all of which came in the second inning. Scherzer had a little arm fatigue, he told Rangers reporters, that was affecting his stuff and location.

It was the bottom of the lineup that kicked off the scoring, Jordan Westburg and Cedric Mullins hitting singles while Colton Cowser walked. Ramón Urías and Anthony Santander drove them in with singles. Mullins, Westburg and Ryan O’Hearn hit homers later to add to the lead.

“I think we all needed that break,” Urías said. “Everyone looks different now. It’s a fresh start, and we are doing well.”