7-14 - Dunning dominates as Rangers end skid with 3-1 win over Braves

The Texas Rangers scored three runs while the Atlanta Braves only scored once.

All it took for the Rangers to win a baseball game was to put on the good duds from their past. Rocking their inaugural 1972 uniforms, Texas got out to an early lead with Corey Seager’s third home run in as many games in the 1st and a Sam Huff RBI single in the 2nd.

The Braves pulled to within a run in the top of the 3rd but that was the last run that they would score while the Rangers added a run of insurance in the 4th with the first hit and RBI of Zach Reks’ big league career.

Tonight’s victory gives the Rangers a shot at a series win in tomorrow’s finale.

Player of the Game: The story tonight was Dane Dunning as he had a real big boy outing and one that the Rangers were desperately seeking. The whole spend nearly $600 million dollars in one winter thing doesn’t really work if players like Dunning don’t take a step forward or two in the coming years.

Early on this season, Dunning had looked uninspiring but with pitching an oddity across the league with a shorted spring training slate, it’s been tough to evaluate anyone. Tonight, however, Dunning gave the Rangers 7 ²⁄₃ (!) innings of one-run ball on just three hits and zero walks with seven Ks. He did so on just 98 pitches in perhaps the first example of the Rangers turning him loose.

Dunning completed the longest and arguably best outing of his big league career against baseball’s champions of a year ago. It couldn’t have come at a better time with fingers reaching out for the panic button.

Up Next: The Rangers and Braves welcome May by closing out this series with LHP Taylor Hearn next up to make the start for Texas against a pitcher to be named for Atlanta.

Sunday afternoon’s first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 1:35 pm CT.