Dunning masterful in Rangers' late loss to Giants

SAN FRANCISCO -- In a pitchers' duel at Oracle Park on Sunday afternoon, Rangers starter Dane Dunning didn’t even realize he was having a career game.

The right-hander tossed seven innings of one-run ball against the Giants, keeping the Rangers in a close game that they eventually lost, 2-1, in 10 innings.

Dunning compiled a career-high 12 strikeouts, which matches the most by a Rangers pitcher this season (Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray). It was the fourth career double-digit strikeout game for Dunning, three of which have come in the last two months. He also logged 23 swings and misses, well past his previous career high of 17.

He set his previous career high of 11 strikeouts just two starts ago against the White Sox at Globe Life Field.

“To be honest, I don't even know I had a career high again,” Dunning joked. “[Eovaldi] came up and told me and I was a little shocked. I guess I'm a strikeout pitcher now. I think it's just my sequencing and working with Mad Dog [pitching coach Mike Maddux] and getting my pitches to where they need to be. It’s just where I’m commanding each pitch. Where each pitch is effective or it's not effective, things like that. I took that in my bullpens, worked on it and then that momentum into the game.”

While Dunning allowed seven hits, including a solo homer from Michael Conforto to put the Giants up early, he buckled down as the game went on, only allowing one runner to reach scoring position over his final four innings.

Manager Bruce Bochy noted that Dunning’s main three-pitch mix of the sinker, slider and changeup has allowed him to effectively move through opposing lineups.

“Yeah, I thought early on I was able to establish the zone with my slider and my sinker down and away,” Dunning explained. “As the game progressed I was able to locate that changeup a little bit better. I kept leaving them up in the zone early on and then was able to figure it out later on. I thought Jonah [Heim] did a great job behind the plate, just keeping them off balance, reading swings and basing out pitches off of that.”

In three starts in August, Dunning has posted a 2.18 ERA across 20 2/3 innings. During that time, he’s struck out 29 batters while walking four.

After struggling to a 5.06 ERA in July, the Dunning of late has looked most like the one the Rangers saw earlier in the season.

“I saw the same thing, a guy that was on top of his game again, just a solid effort,” Bochy said. “He gave us all he could to keep us in that ballgame. I'd say more than anything, he had just really good command. His put-away pitches have been good. He has a good slider, curveball he can use, along with that good sinker and change. It was all very effective today. He’s located well.”

Unfortunately, Dunning’s career day was overshadowed by a quiet offense and shaky back end of the bullpen.

San Francisco starter Logan Webb shut down the Rangers' offense for 8 2/3 innings before Texas scratched a run across in the top of the ninth inning with a double from J.P. Martinez and a single from Ezequiel Duran.

The Rangers took the lead in the top of the 10th inning on a balk by Camilo Doval. They were one out away from the sweep before Patrick Bailey drove an inside fastball from Texas closer Will Smith over the left-field wall to secure a Giants win.

It was just the third blown save of the season for Smith.

“The guy hit a good pitch, [stuff] happens,” Smith said. “[Blown saves], they all suck. They’re all not fun.”

“It was a pitch that got away from him,” Bochy said. “I'm sure he didn't want to put it there. You're one out away and that's why we played nine. We were one out away, too, and we tied it. It was a hard-fought game, a good comeback by our guys and a good series. You hate to lose this when you get so close, but we took the series, it has been a good road trip and now we'll head home.”