Thoughts on a 6-5 Rangers loss

Twins 6, Rangers 5

• That was a frustrating loss.
• A bad outing for Dane Dunning. If it wasn’t his worst outing of the season, it was pretty close. He could not locate his pitches, throwing 28 balls out of 66 pitches (in just 2.1 IP), and when he was able to throw strikes they were too often hammered.
• Dunning’s first inning was bad, giving up a homer and a double, but at least he gave up the double after the homer, rather than before.
• The second inning was also bad, with four straight singles before a GIDP gave Dunning a lifeline. He still walked Carlos Correa, but got Byron Buxton looking for the third out.
• The third inning was probably the worst. Max Kapler had a 96.7 mph line drive to start the inning. Statcast had it with a .710 xBA, but it went straight to Nathaniel Lowe for an out. Dunning then walked the next three batters he faced before hitting Jose Miranda with a pitch to force in a run.
• That was that. Matt Moore got the next two batters, so Dunning ended up with just four runs on his line despite retiring just six of the seventeen batters he faced.
• Dunning’s stuff is such that he needs very good command to have success. What happened today is when a command pitcher has awful command. Its an ugly scene.
• The bullpen kept the Rangers in it, at least. Two runs in 6.2 innings from the bullpen, one on a Brock Burke home run that rocketed his ERA all the way up to 1.22 on the season, and one when Matt Bush threw away a pickoff throw at first base when there were runners on first and third.
• I am not sure why Bush was even making an aggressive pickoff move to first in that situation, but it backfired, and was the difference in the game.
• Joe Barlow got some work today, his first outing since he was taken out of the closer role. One inning, one hit allowed, a GIDP.
• The Rangers were kind of fortunate to have scored five runs, all things considered. Texas only had eight hits and three walks. The highlight was Corey Seager’s home run, which should have either been caught at the fence or a double, but Gilberto Celestino had the ball pop out of his glove when he leapt at the fence to catch it, and it bounded over the fence for a home run.
• That was in the 8th inning and cut the lead to 6-5. It would have been even more entertaining if that had set the stage for a comeback win, but no.
• The other runs game on a bases loaded double by Josh Smith in the third, and then a sac fly from Seager to bring in Smith, who had walked and then advanced to third on a Marcus Semien double, in the fifth. Texas did little to threaten otherwise.
• Dane Dunning topped out at 90.3 mph on his sinker, averaging 89.0 mph. Matt Moore reached 94.5 mph on his fastball. Brock Burke’s fastball hit 95.7 mph. Matt Bush touched 98.0 mph on his fastball. Joe Barlow’s sinker reached 95.6 mph. Garrett Richards maxed out at 94.8 mph on his fastball.
• Mitch Garver had a lineout at 106.8 mph. Marcus Semien had a 105.3 mph double and a 101.4 mph groundout. Corey Seager had a 104.2 mph single and a 103.9 mph groundout. Kole Calhoun had a 104.4 mph lineout. Brad Miller had a 103.7 mph single. Adolis Garcia had a 100.9 mph groundout.
• Tomorrow is a new week. Garfield will be grumpy. Don’t you be, as well.