3-7 - Dunning did well, Glasnow was better as Rangers fall 1-0 in opener

The Texas Rangers scored zero runs and the Tampa Bay Rays scored one run.

I will give you the good news first.

Over the last two baseball games, the Rangers pitching staff has allowed three runs total against a World Series-contending San Diego Padres and the reigning American League champion Rays. They’ve performed admirably.

In fact, tonight, starter Dane Dunning (4 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K) and his tandem partner Taylor Hearn (3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 7 K) combined for seven innings with one run allowed on three hits and four walks while striking out 12 Rays.

That’s a good effort!

The bad news is the Rangers batters are in a pretty extreme funk right now and haven’t scored a run in their last 22 innings while getting shut out for the second consecutive night. And that’s all after getting no-hit.

Dating back to the final game with the Blue Jays, the Rangers have scored four runs in their last 40 innings. Frankly, that seems impossible.

If San Diego’s Joe Musgrove was good in his no-hitter from last Friday, tonight’s Rays starter Tyler Glasnow might have looked even better as he carved up Texas for 14 Ks on just two singles and a base on balls in 7 ²⁄₃ innings.

Glasnow got every member of the Rangers lineup to strike out at least once on the evening, except for Ronald Guzman. Perhaps the only reason he didn’t also K Condor is because the neophyte left fielder existed the game with an injury before his first plate appearance.

Still, for as good as Glasnow was, the Ranger hurlers were keeping the Rays off the board as well until Tampa Bay’s No. 9 hitter Willy Adames swatted an eventual game-winning solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to ultimately pin a loss on Hearn and the Rangers.

Player of the Game: I know Hearn allowed the only run of the game and was the losing pitcher but I like how his stuff played in his three innings and his seven strikeouts was impressive.

Hearn was one batter away from a spotless back half to the tandem start but his effort will hopefully carry into his next opportunity.

Up Next: The Rangers will try to score a baseball run for the first time in many days with RHP Kyle Gibson their Tuesday starter. The Rays will counter with LHP Ryan Yarbrough. First pitch from Tropicana Field is scheduled for 6:10 pm CT.