Marcus Semien extended his majors-best hitting streak to 25 games with a go-ahead double and Dane Dunning won again since taking injured ace Jacob deGrom’s spot in the starting rotation for the AL West-leading Texas Rangers.
After finding out earlier Tuesday that deGrom will have season-ending elbow surgery, the Rangers clinched their sixth consecutive series and improved to 20 games over .500 with a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Dunning is 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in six starts since deGrom went on the injured list. Dunning’s other two wins came in games when he took over after the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner exited early twice in a span of three starts because of injury concerns, including his last game April 28 against the New York Yankees.
Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis García hit solo homers for the Rangers (40-20), who have a five-game winning streak and the best start in Washington Senators/Texas franchise history. The most wins they had ever had through 60 games before this season was 37.
Dunning entered the game with a MLB-best 48 innings without giving up a long ball this season before Nolan Arenado’s 11th homer, a two-run homer in the first.. Willson Contreras and Jordan Walker hit solo shots in the sixth.
Will Smith, the third Texas reliever, worked a perfect ninth for his 11th save in 12 chances.
Rookie left-hander Matthew Liberatore (1-2) allowed five runs (four earned) over four innings as the Cardinals dropped to 0-5 on this trip.
The game was tied 2-2 in the fourth when Semien came up with the bases loaded and hit a ball that ricocheted off the base of the right-center field wall fronting the Rangers bullpen. Semien, who has also reached base 33 games in a row, went to third base and a third run scored after an errant relay throw.
UP NEXT
The Rangers look for a series sweep Wednesday with right-hander Jon Gray (6-1, 2.51) on the mound. Gray has won his last five starts, allowing only three earned runs over 34 innings (0.79 ERA) in that stretch. Jack Flaherty (3-4, 4.55) starts for the Cardinals.