April 25, 2022 - Game 16
W - Matt Moore (1-0)
L - Phil Maton (0-1)
S - None
HR: HOU: Alvarez (4)
Time of Game: 3:14
Cowboy Hat Winner: Adolis García (1st)
Game Recap
Dane Dunning’s first inning was uneventful, and I mean that in the best way possible. He retired the Astros 1-2-3, which is something that has been an issue for Dane all season. In the second inning, Yordan Alvarez homered to right field to put Houston on the board. The Astros started the frame with three straight baserunners, but an excellent play by Charlie Culberson at third and two strikeouts limited the Houston damage to one run. The Rangers answered in the bottom of the frame when Nick Solak reached on an error by Jeremy Peña, and Nathaniel Lowe doubled with one out. Charlie Culberson drove in the run on an RBI groundout, evening the score at a run apiece. Offensively, things settled down as both teams couldn’t push a run across for three innings. The Astros had one baserunner between the three frames (Jason Castro walk), while the Rangers had opportunities in the fourth and fifth with runners in scoring position. However, Texas came out empty in both instances as the game went to the sixth, still 1-1.
In the sixth inning, Yuli Gurriel singled to center field, ending the night for Dane Dunning. Unfortunately, the first batter John King faced was a flyball that kicked off Nick Solak’s glove, scoring Gurriel with two outs. Astros took a 2-1 lead, and Texas couldn’t answer in the inning against Framber Valdez, despite having two to start the inning. Nick Solak said after the game it was a ball he should have caught and that the wind didn't play much of a factor on that play. He did say he had to go a long way to track the ball down.
The Rangers broke through against Phil Maton in the seventh, and they tied the game up with Willie Calhoun doubling and Marcus Semien driving him in with a single (Kole Calhoun moved Willie to third). Then, Corey Seager came through with a single to right, putting Texas up 3-2 after seven innings. In the eighth, Adolis García broke the game wide open with a three-run double to extend the Rangers lead to 6-2. "Credit to the guys on the bench, Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. "They've been doing it all year. For Willie to come off the bench, It's not an easy thing to do but we've done it so much, they're used to it."
The Rangers couldn’t solve Framber Valdez on Monday. Valdez threw six innings, allowed four hits, one run, two walks, and struck out five (two in the crucial sixth inning). Dane Dunning, though had a good start of his own. While the Gurriel run went against Dane’s ledger, Dunning threw 5.2 innings and allowed five hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. "I felt effective in the zone," Dane Dunning said after the game. "[I] pitched guys backward [and] threw significantly more offspeed than heaters today, but other than that felt pretty good." Dane said he didn't try to bargain once Chris Woodward came out. Woodward said after the game the limit was at ninety pitches.
John King walked one in relief of Dunning in the sixth and allowed the single to Kyle Tucker but got out of the jam to limit the Astros to one run. Matt Moore came into the seventh and pitched a scoreless frame while walking one. Matt Bush came in and allowed back-to-back singles with two outs, but a strikeout of Jason Castro ended the threat. Joe Barlow finished the game to secure the Rangers victory Monday.
Postgame Notes
Dane Dunning entered Monday, allowing 29 runs in 35 starts in the first inning and five runs in the second. He didn’t allow a run in the first but allowed a run in the second.
Monday was the longest outing by Dane since July 27th against Arizona (9 starts).
The Rangers and the opposition have scored 15 runs in the last 34 innings (Rangers outscored their opponents 10-5).
Entering Monday, Corey Seager was 1 for his last 16 at-bats. He had two hits in three at-bats Monday, including an RBI.
Willie Calhoun is 3 for 7 with a home run, a double, and two walks in games he pinch-hits in.
Rangers’ bullpen is in a span where they’ve allowed 1 run in their last 23.1 innings. The run King gave up Monday got charged to Dane Dunning’s line.
In his career, Adolis García is hitting .333 with 7 HRs and 20 RBI against the Houston Astros.
Nathaniel Lowe picked up his 8th multi-hit game of the year. With Lowe's average at .381 he's on pace to have the best April by a Rangers' hitter since Josh Hamilton in 2012 (.395)
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