Players continued to step up for our Texas Rangers, and the replacements for the team’s injured stars made valuable contributions as well. Dane Dunning pitched well in the absence of injured ace Jacob deGrom, and fill-in shortstop Ezequiel Duran hit a home run. The Rangers defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-4 in a matchup of division leaders on Tuesday night.
Dunning allowed only one run over six innings, earning his fourth win in his third start since deGrom went on the injured list. Dunning has been effective both as a starter and in relief when filling in for deGrom. He recorded four strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk, showcasing his command on the mound.
Duran, who started at shortstop due to Corey Seager’s delayed return from the injured list, hit his sixth home run of the season—a solo shot in the eighth inning. Seager’s return is imminent, but Duran is expected to continue getting playing time due to his strong performances.
The Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a home run for the third consecutive game, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their fifth loss in six games. Despite the recent struggles, the Braves still hold a five-game lead over the second-place Miami Marlins in the NL East.
After a lopsided loss in the series opener, the Rangers bounced back with their eighth win in the last 11 games. Will Smith closed the game with a perfect ninth inning to secure his eighth save of the season.
Jared Shuster, Atlanta’s top pitching prospect, made the start but couldn’t hold the Rangers’ offense completely at bay. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning when Robbie Grossman singled, and Nathaniel Lowe followed with an RBI double. GarcÃa then hit his 11th home run of the season, extending his lead in RBIs in the MLB.
Jonah Heim extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning. Marcus Semien and Grossman added RBI singles in the seventh to give the Rangers a comfortable lead.
Acuña’s 10th home run of the season and Sean Murphy’s two-run shot in the eighth brought the Braves within two runs, but they couldn’t complete the comeback.