ARLINGTON -- When Dane Dunning was placed on outright waivers just before Opening Day, he wasn’t particularly shocked by that development. “I mean, I definitely saw it coming, more or less,” Dunning said. “Honestly, it was a good eye-opener for me. I was breaking down everything and figure out everything that I'm doing wrong. … It was a lot of deep-diving through old videos and being able to see what I was doing my best when I was good, when I was throwing my best sinkers, my best stuff and then kind of seeing where I was at.” Dunning has been with the Rangers since the 2020-21 offseason, when they acquired him in a trade that sent Lance Lynn to the White Sox. Dunning went on to win the club’s Pitcher of the Year Award in both ‘21 and ‘23. |
He was perhaps the most important member of the 2023 squad that won the World Series as he filled multiple roles on the pitching staff -- including filling in the rotation for an injured Jacob deGrom -- but he never quite reached those heights again the following year. Dunning struggled to a 5.31 ERA in 95 innings in the big leagues in 2024 and was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock for the first time in his Rangers tenure. He came into Spring Training with a renewed confidence, but still ultimately struggled, allowing 10 runs in 11 innings in Cactus League play.
"I’ve just been kind of taking [it one] day at a time and working my way back,” Dunning said. “Obviously, no one wants to go down [to the Minors] or anything but, as you probably can see for my first two outings, I probably wouldn't have been a great help for the team. This is a team sport. I was able to go down there and work on my stuff and try to get back. It was a good reset.”
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He’s posted a 5.40 ERA in five starts at Triple-A Round Rock this season. But Dunning said he figured something out over his last few outings, finding himself in a much better place mechanically. The right-hander allowed eight runs (seven earned) in his first two starts (5 1/3 innings) and then five runs over his next three starts (14 2/3 innings). Manager Bruce Bochy noted that Dunning got derailed for an extended period of time, but Round Rock's staff believes that he’s got himself back on track and that he can contribute to a winning ball club in Arlington.
Dunning did that on Tuesday evening as he got his first career save in Texas' 15-2 win against the A's at Globe Life Field. He allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts in three innings. “I definitely don't take the position I’m in for granted,” Dunning said. “Every Spring Training, I try to come in and make the team and do what I can to help out the team. Going from the year I had in ‘23 to ‘24, I definitely saw the signs a little bit. I wasn’t pitching as effectively, I wasn’t getting quick and early outs, I was walking a lot of guys. I just wasn't locating the ball that well. there were definitely things I needed to work on.” |
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“Every team goes through something like this. We’ve gone through this before. We even did in 2023. The talent is here. So if you don't have the belief that they will hit, what do you have? I mean, come on. I know hope is a strategy here, but at the same time, I really think these guys are going to come around. I know some guys are going to hit. We’ve got to hunker down together and have each other's backs for each other and fight through this together.” -- Manager Bruce Bochy on the Rangers' struggling offense |
CORBIN'S CONFIDENCE PAYING OFF |
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In Monday night’s 2-1 loss to the A’s at Globe Life Field, veteran starting pitcher Patrick Corbin allowed just two runs in 4 2/3 innings with a season-high 93 pitches. He allowed leadoff hits in each of his five frames, but got out of trouble in each of the first four frames. He held the A’s to 2-for-14 (.143) with runners aboard and 1-for-10 (.100) with runners in scoring position. In four starts this season, he has limited opponents to a .130 (3-for-23) clip with runners in scoring position and .189 (7-for-37) with runners on base overall. Corbin -- who the Rangers signed toward the end of Spring Training -- has a 3.79 ERA in 19 innings this season coming off one of the worst years of his career in 2024, when he posted a 5.62 ERA in 174 2/3 innings. “I never lost any confidence in myself,” Corbin said. “I knew I could still pitch in the big leagues and this is a great spot. There's a lot of people that are here helping each other and I'm looking forward to continuing this development here. I’m as confident as I've ever been. I’m looking forward to continuing this season and going out there and taking the ball, and trying to get better. That's how I've approached it my whole career: trying to find ways to get better.” |
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