Rhett Lowder pitched six shutout innings to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-0 win over the Texas Rangers Saturday in Arlington, Texas.
Lowder (1-0) allowed three hits, walked two and struck out four in 82 pitches.
The 24-year-old only allowed one runner to get to second and that was with two outs in the first inning.
Emilio Pagan pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his third save.
Pagan walked Jake Burger to start the inning, but Joc Pederson hit into a 6-3 double play.
The tying run came to the plate again after Pagan walked Josh Smith.
Pagan went 0-2 on Josh Jung before he managed to single off Elly De La Cruz’ glove at short to put runners at first and third.
Evan Carter, however, struck out swinging to end the game.
The Reds’ bullpen allowed only one Rangers runner after Lowder came out of the game, a two-out walk in the seventh, before Pagan struggled in the ninth.
Rangers starter Kumar Rocker (0-1), making his first start of the season, went five innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits. The right-hander walked one and struck out three in 80 pitches.
The Reds scored twice right away in the first inning.
With one out, Matt McClain singled past third base.
McClain went to second on a wild pitch and scored when De La Cruz lined a single to center.
Sal Stewart made it 2-0 with a single to deep right field, scoring De La Cruz, who was running on the pitch.
The Rangers only other scoring threat came in the first when Corey Seager and Burger had back-to-back two-out singles.
Lowder, however, induced Pederson to fly out to right field. The Rangers were 2-for-12 with runners on base.
The Reds had a chance for an insurance run in the ninth when Spencer Steer led off with a double.
Rangers reliever Tyler Alexander, however, forced Dane Myers to ground out, struck out Jose Trevino and TJ Friedl grounded out the second.
Friedl is hitting .077 to start the season after going 0-for-4 with a walk.
