Right-hander Lance Lynn looks for his first win with Texas when the Rangers wrap up a two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday in Phoenix.
He signed a three-year, $30 million deal in the offseason.
Lynn (0-1, 6.39 ERA) has made one poor start and one good start this season, and, as luck would have it, he took the loss in the good outing. Well, good except for a couple of pitches to Mike Trout, who went deep twice in a 3-1 win for the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
“Lance pitched his tail off,” manager Chris Woodward said after Lynn went seven innings, allowing five hits and two runs. “He’s a competitor. He’s not going to give in. That’s what we love about him.”
Lynn, who played for the Cardinals from 2011-17 before pitching for the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees in the American League last season, should love taking the mound against Arizona for the first time since 2017.
He is 5-0 in 11 appearances (nine starts) against the Diamondbacks, with a 2.95 ERA in 55 innings. Lynn has struck out 48 and walked 22 in that span.
He’ll face an Arizona lineup with surprisingly hot bats. The Diamondbacks have scored at least five runs in nine of their 11 games, with two walk-off wins in their past three outings. Jarrod Dyson on Tuesday ripped a two-run pinch homer off closer Jose Leclerc with one out in the ninth for a 5-4 win over the Rangers.
“One thing about this bunch here, we’re some hungry guys,” Dyson said. “We don’t give in. We don’t give in to nothing. No matter what the situation, we play until the last out is made.”
Dyson’s blast was Arizona’s third home run of the game and 22nd of the season.
“That was such a great sight when you see these guys celebrate, have a good time like that,” said manager Torey Lovullo. “I think that will lead into the next day.”
Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray (0-1) will try to manage his control in his third start. He has walked five in each of his first two starts, spanning 10 1/3 innings, with an ERA of 4.35. Ray is 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA in three career starts against Texas.
Texas third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera will be back in the lineup Wednesday. Cabrera, a native of Venezuela, had Tuesday off after traveling to Miami on Monday to get sworn in as a United States citizen.
Infielder Patrick Wisdom, who had four home runs in 50 at-bats with the St. Louis Cardinals last season before being dealt to the Rangers in December, made his Texas debut Tuesday, starting for Cabrera.
Wisdom will mostly split time at first base with Logan Forsythe, while Ronald Guzman is on the injured list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain that is expected to keep him out three to four weeks.
“I’m up here to help the team win,” Wisdom said on MLB.com. “It’s a shame how it happened, and you never want to see guys go down, especially your teammates. It’s a tough pill to swallow. I’m here to take up where (Guzman) left off.”
