ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — In a game dominated by pitching and decided in its first three batters, the Cincinnati Reds silenced the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at Globe Life Park, defying pregame projections and leaning on a stellar start from rookie Rhett Lowder.

A crowd of 36,393 watched as the Reds (5-3) scraped together two runs in the top of the first inning against Texas starter Kumar Rocker and then relied on a parade of arms to make the early lead stand for the duration of the brisk 2-hour, 25-minute contest. The Rangers (4-4), installed as pregame favorites with a projected win probability of 55 percent, were shut out for the first time this season and mustered only four hits.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded immediately. After leadoff hitter TJ Friedl grounded out, Matt McLain sparked the rally with a single that deflected off the glove of Rangers third baseman Josh Jung. Elly De La Cruz followed by lining a single to center field, scoring McLain. Sal Stewart then delivered another sharp single to right, plating De La Cruz to give Cincinnati a 2-0 advantage before many in the crowd had settled. Rocker limited further damage, but the early offensive output proved sufficient.

From there, the narrative shifted entirely to the mound. Lowder, making his second career start, was the unequivocal star for Cincinnati. The right-hander expertly navigated the potent Texas lineup, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out four. He worked around a pair of singles in the first inning and a leadoff walk in the third, never permitting a Ranger to reach third base during his outing. This performance built on his successful debut on March 29, when he earned a win over Boston.

Lowder earned his first victory of the season, while Rocker was saddled with his first loss. Rocker settled after the rocky first, completing five innings and surrendering six hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.

The Reds’ bullpen executed a flawless relay to preserve the slim margin. Graham Ashcraft and Tony Santillan each contributed a perfect inning of relief in the seventh and eighth, respectively. In the ninth, closer Emilio Pagán encountered trouble but secured his third save of the year. He issued a leadoff walk to Jake Burger, but induced a crucial 6-3 double play grounder from Joc Pederson. After a walk to Josh Smith and an infield single by Josh Jung put the tying runs on the corners, Pagán struck out Evan Carter swinging to end the game.

Offensively, the Reds collected eight hits, with Spencer Steer going 2-for-4, including a double in the ninth. The Rangers’ lineup, featuring Brandon Nimmo, Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford, was held in check throughout, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

The victory gave Cincinnati its second straight win in the series after a 5-3 triumph on Friday. The result also marked a stark contrast to the pregame simulation by Interstat, which had projected a 5-3 Texas victory. The total score of two runs fell dramatically under the over/under line of 8.

The Rangers’ bullpen provided four innings of scoreless relief, with Jacob Latz, Carter Baumler, Jalen Beeks and Tyler Alexander combining to allow just two hits.

Cincinnati will go for the series sweep on Sunday, April 5, before embarking on a four-game set in Miami. Texas will look to avoid the sweep in the series finale before welcoming the Seattle Mariners for a three-game homestand.