Dane Dunning did what Dane Dunning does.

He struggled in the first inning. That was his downfall last year as well. In 2021, his first-inning ERA was 7.92. He gave up runs in the first in nearly half his starts. In the second inning, though, he had an 0.36 ERA.

He puts himself and his team in a hole from the very beginning, forcing them have to dig out of it.

Last year that was impossible because the Rangers hitters had no shovels to dig with, only spoons. Tiny plastic fast food spoons. Yesterday, the New Rangers Offense worked their way out of the hole. These guys have the proper tools.

The offense gave Dunning a 3-2 lead but he couldn’t hang on to it, giving Toronto a third run in the bottom of the fifth before departing.

All in all, Dunning didn’t pitch poorly. He didn’t pitch great either. He had to overcome two defensive bobbles by Andy Ibañez at third in that first inning which could have gotten him out of the inning. But he wasn’t able to get out of trouble after that. And that’s the what a young pitcher needs to learn how to do.

In the end, Dane Dunning tossed a typical Dane Dunning game. 

Encouraging but discouraging.

Good but not great.

He wasn’t the losing pitcher but he wasn’t the winning pitcher.

He might end up being the Rangers best pitcher, though.

*****