Dane Dunning took a one-hitter into the seventh inning and Josh Jung homered and drove in four runs Monday night to lead the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers to a 9-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
In a rematch of clubs that met during the Rangers' postseason run last fall, Dunning limited the Rays to Jose Siri's third-inning double until Richie Palacios homered with one out in the seventh.
The right-hander didn't retire another batter, departing after sandwiching a pair of walks around Siri's two-run homer that trimmed Tampa Bay's deficit to 6-3.
Jung, who had three hits, ruined right-hander Ryan Pepiot's debut for the Rays, who acquired the 26-year-old in an offseason trade that sent Tyler Glasnow to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The All-Star third baseman hit a three-run homer in the first and added an RBI single off Pepiot during a three-run sixth.
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Adolis García delivered his 100th career home run for Texas, a solo shot off reliever Chris Devenski that gives the slugger three in four games this season. Garcia drove in another run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth.
The Rangers went 11-0 on the road during their 2023 championship run, beginning the journey with a pair of victories over the Rays at Tropicana Field in a sweep of their best-of-three AL Wild Card Series. Tampa Bay was limited to two extra-base hits and one run over 18 innings.
David Robertson replaced Dunning (1-0), who allowed three runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. Lefty Brock Burke came on in the ninth to get the final three outs.
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Pepiot yielded six runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He was acquired in December — along with outfielder Jonny DeLuca — in the trade that sent Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to the Dodgers. Monday's start was the 11th of his career, and he showed glimpses of why Tampa Bay is excited to have him.
The right-hander settled after giving up two walks to begin the game, then falling behind 3-0 on Jung's second homer of the season. Texas managed just three hits over the next five innings — Wyatt Lanford's one-out single in the fourth, Corey Seager's leadoff single in the sixth and Jung's RBI single that made it 4-0.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Jung left the game during an at bat in the ninth after he appeared to be struck in the right wrist on a pitch he swung and missed. Pinch hitter Josh Smith replaced Jung with a 2-2 count and drew a bases-loaded walk.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Andrew Heaney makes his season debut for the Rangers on Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game series. Right-hander Zach Eflin (0-1, 9.53 ERA) looks to rebound from an opening-day loss to Toronto for the Rays.
