Texas Rangers’ second-generation Korean pitcher Dane Dunning (29) conquered the 10-win mark in a season for the first time since his major league debut.
Dunning appeared as a starting pitcher in the 2023 Major League Baseball away game against the Toronto Blue Jays held at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 12th (Korean time). Dunning, who achieved a quality start with 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 3 walks, and 3 runs allowed in 6 innings, achieved his 10th win of the season as Texas won 10-4.
After recording his 9th win of the season against the Chicago White Sox on August 3 (7 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 11 strikeouts, 1 walk, 1 run), Dunning recorded only 2 losses and no wins in 6 appearances. In his previous appearance against the Houston Astros on the 6th, Dunning suffered the humiliation of allowing 9 runs with 11 hits (3 home runs), 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 4 strikeouts in 5⅓ innings, the most in a game since his big league debut. did.바카라사이트
The process of trying to achieve 10 wins for the 7th time was not smooth either. Dunning, who took the mound with the pressure of the fierce fall baseball ranking competition, finished the first inning with a three-way strike, but gave up a run right away in the second inning. In the bottom of the second inning, with Texas leading 1-0, Dunning allowed a hit and a walk with one out, putting the team in danger with one out and runners on first and second base. After receiving a timely hit from Toronto’s Alejandro Kirkede to tie the game, Dunning took a breather by striking out Dalton Basho, but after giving up a walk to Kevin Kiermaier, he got a timely hit from George Springer, allowing a 1-2 comeback. Dunning was hit by a sharp ball from Bo Bichette in the ensuing crisis with bases loaded and two outs, but he managed to end the inning with a fly ball to center field.
When the Texas lineup tied the game with Evan Carter’s solo home run in the top of the third inning, Dunning also showed strength. Dunning pitched the 3rd inning with a strikeout-strikeout-fly ball and the 4th inning with a ground ball-strikeout-ground ball, creating two consecutive three-way innings. Meanwhile, Texas took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 5th inning thanks to Corey Seager’s timely hit.
Dunning was in danger once again when he allowed a double to leadoff hitter Kiermaier in the bottom of the fifth inning. Then, Springer hit a right-handed hit, and Kiermaier, the runner on second base, came home. However, when Texas left fielder Evan Carter’s no-bounds laser throw reached home first, he succeeded in sniping. Dunning, who overcame the crisis with the help of defense, grounded out Bisset and struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr., completing the winning pitcher requirement.
In the bottom of the 6th inning, when Texas had widened the gap to 5-2, Dunning took the mound again, but after being hit by leadoff hitter Spencer Horvitz, he threw a wild pitch and put himself on second base with no outs. Dunning, who hit Davis Schneider with a fly ball to right field and allowed the runner on second base to advance to third base, allowed a sacrifice fly to Cavan Biggio, giving up his third run. However, he was no longer shaken and ended the sixth inning with a ground ball, achieving a quality start.
Led by Dunning’s good pitching, Texas defeated Toronto’s will to chase with a 5-run big inning in the 7th inning and won 10-4, securing their 3rd consecutive win. Texas, which recorded 79 wins and 64 losses (a winning percentage of 0.552) on the season, maintained its spot at the American League wild card cutoff point. Toronto, which lost that day, recorded 80 wins and 64 losses (0.556 winning percentage), trailing Texas by 0.5 games.
Meanwhile, Dunning is a Korean player well known to domestic fans, born to a Korean mother, Misu Dunning (Korean name: Jeong Mi-su), and an American father, John Dunning. Dunning, who was selected by the Washington Nationals with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 rookie draft, debuted in the major leagues with the White Sox in 2020 and has been playing in Texas since 2021.
Dunning, who showed potential by recording 27 games (25 starts), 5 wins, 10 losses, and an ERA of 4.51 in 2021, and 4 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 4.46 in 29 games (29 starts) in 2022, ended the season early due to right hip surgery in September of last year. did. Dunning expressed a positive stance about joining the Korean national team ahead of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), but unfortunately, the Taegeuk mark was canceled due to injury. Dunning, who has successfully completed rehabilitation, is having a career-high season in his fourth year in the big leagues, putting aside the disappointment of not being able to participate in the WBC.
