Kopech shaky on the road again as Sox lose 8-0 in Texas
ARLINGTON, Texas - Dane Dunning allowed one hit in seven dominant innings against his former team for his first win since April, and Adolis García drove in five runs as the Texas Rangers shut out the White Sox 8-0 on Saturday night.
The lone Sox hit against Dunning was an infield single up the middle by Yoán Moncada with two outs in the second. Yasmani Grandal doubled off Taylor Hearn with two outs in the ninth for the South Siders' only other hit.
Dunning (2-6) struck out six and walked one, winning for the first time in 16 starts since a 3-1 victory April 30 over Atlanta. The White Sox traded the right-hander to Texas in a December 2020 deal for pitcher Lance Lynn.
Ezequiel Duran hit Michael Kopech's first pitch of the third into the Rangers' bullpen in right-center for a home run. With two outs, two walks and a single by Corey Seager loaded the bases for García. He lined a 3-1 pitch for a two-run single and a 3-0 lead.
Kopech (4-8) got out of the third with a groundout by Leody Taveras on the 38th pitch of the inning.
García added a three-run double in the seventh, equaling a career high with his fifth five-RBI game - all at home.
Kopech was removed with two runners on and one out in the fourth. One scored on a wild pitch by reliever Jose Ruiz.
In his last six road starts, Kopech is 2-4 with a 6.00 ERA in 27 innings.
Dunning is 2-1 at home this season. Saturday's win was the seventh of his career at Globe Life Field, tied for the most by any pitcher with Jordan Lyles, whose seventh win at the stadium came just four days earlier when the Orioles beat the Rangers 8-2.
Texas had won only one of Dunning's previous 12 starts, but he was the losing pitcher in just four of those.
On this night, Dunning got 12 outs on the ground and only three in the air.
Texas had given Dunning just 3.45 runs of support per nine innings over the last two seasons, second-lowest in the majors to Miami ace Sandy Alcantara (3.24).
White Sox right-handed reliever Reynaldo Lopez (lower back strain) threw a simulated game Saturday. "He was in command of it," manager Tony La Russa said. Lopez is expected to come off the 15-day injured list on the first day he's eligible for Tuesday's doubleheader at Kansas City.
Lucas Giolito (7-6, 5.06 ERA) pitches the finale of the four-game series Sunday against Spencer Howard (2-3. 6.82). Giolito is 2-0 in four career starts against the Rangers.