LOS ANGELES >> The road has been bumpy, including twists and then turns, with Bobby Miller hoping it is the one that leads him back to a trusted spot in the Dodgers’ rotation.

Nobody knows the route of uncertainty better than the right-hander, who has been projected for big things with his rocket arm but has been slowed by struggles, shoulder inflammation and a demotion this season.

Throughout most of his outing against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, Miller showed the stuff that might afford him a role on the playoff pitching staff this October. A late blip in the Dodgers’ 6-3 victory showed there is still more room for progress.

Miller gave up just two hits in five innings, with one of those a three-run home run to Colton Cowser with two outs in the fifth. The offense did its part as the Dodgers took advantage of losses by both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.

When a key four-game series on the road against the Diamondbacks begins today, the Dodgers will have a four-game lead on their National League West rival in the desert. The Padres fell five games back.

As much as the Dodgers wanted Thursday’s victory to put another game between them and their division foes, they still gave Max Muncy the night off and let Chris Taylor play third base, while Austin Barnes made the start in his return from the injured list as Will Smith was given a day of rest.

“(It’s) trying to figure out how to win games in the here and now, with the players you have available, but not red-line guys, so then they’re still healthy and strong and perform optimally as we get through September and October,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So again, that’s a case by case, talking to coaches, the players themselves and then the performance and training staff.”

In taking two of three games from the Orioles this week, the Dodgers not only got the best of the American League’s second-best club, they won for the eighth time in their past 10 games.

Miller led the way, holding the Orioles to one hit over the first four scoreless innings. The Dodgers staked him to a 5-0 lead, with Barnes delivering a two-run double in a four-run fourth inning after missing time because of a fractured left toe.

As his command began to fail him in the fifth inning, Miller hit Eloy Jimenez with a 95 mph pitch on the left hip. He had a 1-2 count on the hot-hitting Ramon Urias before he issued a one-out walk. On a 3-2 fastball at 98 mph to Colton Cowser, the Baltimore leadoff hitter lifted a three-run home run to left-center field.

The bullpen carried the victory the rest of the way, though not without a close call. Right-hander Daniel Hudson, in his first outing in nine days, got two quick outs in the seventh inning before the Orioles loaded the bases on a single and two walks.

Blake Treinen entered and fell behind 2-0 to Gunnar Henderson before he rallied back against the reigning American League Rookie of the Year to record a strikeout on a 91 mph cutter.

Treinen continued to pitch a scoreless eighth inning and former Orioles right-hander Evan Phillips handled the ninth for his 17th save. The bullpen performance came one day after five relievers held Baltimore scoreless over the final 4 1/3 innings in a victory Wednesday.

The Dodgers have plenty of momentum heading into the series against the Diamondbacks, but the bullpen has been busy leading into a start by Clayton Kershaw today.

“I just want to play good baseball, and I think that’s the bar, the gear that I’m looking for, to kind of sustain that,” Roberts said.