It appears the miracle working of Tony Beasley does not extend to Dane Dunning’s road woes.

For the twenty-fifth time as a Texas Ranger, Dane Dunning got the start on the road. For the twenty-fifth time as a Texas Ranger, Dane Dunning failed to win on the road. 

He has had some bad luck, to be sure. He’s had games he should have won but his team didn’t score enough for him. Before yesterday, in four of his eleven road starts, he gave up two runs or fewer. 

But he also had games where he was a sieve. Like last night.

Before he even took the mound, he had a 3-0 lead to work with. If he was just unlucky and the victim of non-support, three runs would have been enough to do it. But he turned around and gave up those three runs in the bottom of the second. And was pulled after five innings having given up four runs.

Yes, he left with a lead. But in this era of pitch count baseball where a starter is only asked to go five innings, and in Dunning’s case, 72 innings, almost half the game is out of their hands and in the hands of the bullpen.

The Rockies scored three more off the Rangers bullpen to snatch the elusive W away from Dunning.

But shed no tears for him. Four earned runs in five innings is not bad luck. It’s bad pitching.

For whatever reason, Dunning falls flat on his face when the Rangers leave Arlington. 

You’ve heard of stay-at-home dads. Maybe he should be a stay-at-home pitcher.

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