Rangers' bats unable to back Dunning's quality start

ARLINGTON -- Sometimes things just don’t fall your way. For the Rangers, nothing really fell their way at all in a 3-1 loss to the Astros on Sunday night at Globe Life Field

Texas’ loss snapped a three-game win streak in the young 2024 season after winning the first two in this four-game set.

Rangers starter Dane Dunning was tagged with the loss, despite tossing his second quality start in as many outings this season. He allowed three runs on four hits and three walks to go with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. But it was unfortunately a rare off night for Texas’ high-powered offense, which was shut out for the first time this season.

The Rangers were limited to a season-low two hits, marking the club’s fewest since a one-hit showing against the Orioles on April 3, 2023. They were held hitless against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco through 5 2/3 innings before Adolis García broke up the no-hitter with a single.

Rookie infielder Justin Foscue put the Rangers on the board in the bottom of the ninth with his first MLB hit and RBI off All-Star closer Josh Hader.

“We just couldn't get much going,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We had the one inning where we had a couple of walks and had some good hitters up there, but you're going to get shut down occasionally, and that's what happened.”

Dunning didn’t have a bad day all things considered. He virtually shut down the Astros after a three-run homer from Yordan Alvarez in the third inning, allowing just two more baserunners on a pair of singles in the fifth.

The biggest issue wasn’t the homer to Alvarez. Sometimes you get beat by one of the best hitters in the world. The bigger flaw was when Dunning issued back-to-back walks to nine-hole hitter Jake Meyers and Jose Altuve ahead of the faceoff with Alvarez.

“I think he’d like to have those two walks back,” Bochy said.

With a fairly inconsistent zone throughout the game, Dunning issued three walks over the first three innings.

“I had Meyers set up and walked him on a 3-2 where he kind of battled,” Dunning said. “I thought I threw a quality pitch to Altuve and didn't get the call. From there, I need to bear down and make a pitch to Yordan. We were trying to go cutter up and in and was just more middle in, it just wasn't as high as I wanted it and he put a good swing on the ball.

“It's unfortunate, but that's baseball. Other than that I felt good.”

Despite the loss, Dunning feels good about where he’s at through his first two starts this season.

Often more of a ground-ball pitcher, the right-hander has now struck out seven batters in each of his first two starts. This is only the second time in his career that Dunning has posted seven-plus strikeouts in consecutive outings (Aug. 19 and 30, 2020, as a member of the White Sox).

“I feel good in my delivery,” Dunning said. “The reality is it’s probably just [catcher Jonah Heim] making it really easy back there. He's phenomenal to pitch to. We're on the same page, like 99% of the time, so it's easy once that rhythm and that tempo gets going.”

Almost unsurprisingly, especially for what was an oft-criticized bullpen in 2023, Rangers relievers shut down the Astros behind Dunning. Second-year pitchers Grant Anderson, Jake Latz and Yerry Rodriguez combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one baserunner.

“They’re doing a nice job, aren’t they?” Bochy said. “Grant came in, got down 3-0 and did a really nice job of coming back to get the strikeout. Latz came in and faced the heart of their order [Alvarez, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman], and Yerry, I thought, did a nice job. He had the one walk, but they did what we're hoping.

“We didn’t have our leverage guys out there, but these guys held them at bay and gave us a chance.”