Postgame Notes: Rangers 7, Angels 2

TEXAS snapped a 3-game losing skid with tonight’s win, leveling this 3-game series vs. LAA (1-1 + 1 G)…will be seeking a victory in tomorrow afternoon’s series finale to snap stretch of 9 consecutive winless series (0-6-3) dating back to last series win on 8/19-22 at MIN (3-1)…own a 9-6 record against the Angels in 2022, needing just one more win to clinch season series over the Halos for a 3rd time in the last 4 seasons…6 runs scored tonight were as many as prev. 3 G combined (6 total runs from Sat.-Mon.).

DANE DUNNING earned the win after he exited with a 3-2 lead following 5.0 innings over which he allowed 2 runs (both earned) on 3 hits and a walk, all while recording season high-tying 8 strikeouts (2x, last 5/24 at LAA)…threw 45 of 72 (62.5%) pitches for strikes, the 2nd-fewest pitches thrown by a Ranger in an outing with 8-or-more strikeouts since pitches were 1st officially tracked in 1988 (66 pitches/8 SO by Hyeon-jong Yang on 5/5/21 at MIN)…both runs allowed came on 2-run home run by Taylor Ward in the 1st inning, but retired 11 of next 13 batters faced with 7 K’s following the blast…Dunning has gone 4-2 with a 3.59 ERA (35 ER/87.2 IP) over 16 starts in Arlington this season, with tonight’s victory making him the new all-time wins leader at Globe Life Field (9-Dane Dunning, 8-Jordan Lyles).

ADOLIS GARCÍA plated 2 of Texas’ 7 runs on a sacrifice fly in the 1st inning and RBI double in the 3rd…his 94 RBI this season are already a career high (prev. 90 in 2021), and the most by a Ranger over a single season since Nomar Mazara in 2017 (101)…García’s 30 doubles are tied with Marcus Semien for the club lead, and he is just the 4th player (5th instance) in WAS/TEX franchise history to record 30+ 2B, 25+ HR, and 20+ stolen bases in a season, joining Ian Kinsler (2x, 2011 & 2009), Alfonso Soriano (2005), and Rafael Palmeiro (1993)…has reached base safely via hit or walk in each of his last 11 games (beg. 9/10) at .316/.413/.711/1.124 (12-38) with 3 HR, one 3B, 4 2B, 10 RBI, and 7 BB/10 SO.

NATHANIEL LOWE reached base safely 3 times on a double, single, and walk, his American League-leading 53rd multi-hit game of the season (2nd in MLB: 55-LAD’s Freddie Freeman)…entered tonight’s contest in an 0-for-8 skid, but is batting .371 (76-205) over his last 54 G (beg. 7/25) to raise his season batting average from .269 to .308, 5th-highest among A.L. qualifiers as of the conclusion of tonight’s game.

JOSH SMITH extended Texas’ lead to 4-2 in the 7th inning with a towering solo home run to right field, the 2nd round-tripper of his career (also inside-the-park HR on 7/11 vs. OAK)…marked the 1st HR of Smith’s career to clear the outfield fence, as the 386-foot projected distance on the blast was the 2nd-longest of his career per Statcast (409-ft. fly out on 7/17 vs. SEA).

LOS ANGELES-AL has gone 3-2 in last 5 G overall, but lost 5 of last 6 G on the road…is now 1-1 on current road trip to TEX (1-1 + 1 G) and MIN (3 G)…has gone 6-9 vs. Texas this season heading into tomorrow’s rubber game.

TUCKER DAVIDSON took his 3rd straight loss after allowing 3 R-ER over 5.0 IP…has also lost 4 of his last 5 starts since earning his lone win with the Angels on 8/14 vs. MIN…the Amarillo, Texas native was drafted by Atlanta out of Midland (TX) College and traded to the Angels on 8/2, and is now 1-5, 6.96 (25 ER/32.1 IP) thru 7 starts with Halos.

TAYLOR WARD hit a 2-run homer in the 1st inning for the Angels' only runs of the game…his 19 home runs this season are a career high and more than double his previous best of 8 HR in 2021…has hit safely in 7 straight games at .440 (11-25).

MISCELLANEOUS: Tonight's 2:35 time of game marked Rangers' shortest since the All-Star break…5 of Corey Seager’s last 6 hits have gone for extra bases (2 HR, 3 2B), and he has reached base in 5 of 11 trips to the plate over his last 3 G (HR, 2 2B, 1B, BB)…Marcus Semien went 0-for-4 tonight to snap his season-best 8-G hit streak...Leody Taveras (2 RBI) turned in his 1st multi-RBI showing since career-high 5 RBI on 8/10 at HOU…Rob Zastryzny made his Angels debut in relief, becoming the franchise record-tying 64th player used by the team this season (also used 64 players in 2021).