Dylan Cease was knocked out of the game without completing four innings for the second time in the last three weeks after the Rangers hit the Padres’ starter early in a 7-0 Texas victory.

Cease allowed six runs (all earned) to score in 3-⅔ innings on eight hits, including two home runs to Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

Over his last 10 starts, Cease has a 6.15 ERA with four starts where he could not complete the fifth inning. He went 3-⅔ innings in another start against the New York Mets on June 10.

The loss ended the Padres’ 11-game win streak against the Rangers. It was their first loss to the Rangers since Sept. 15, 2018.

Lowe got the Rangers to a quick start in the first inning with a two-run home run that scored shortstop Josh Smith. In the second inning, a pair of doubles from Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras scored another run.

Lowe hit his second home run of the game in the third inning after Smith led off the inning with a walk. Taveras scored in the fourth inning on Marcus Semien’s one-out single. One batter later and Cease was relieved for reliever Stephen Kolek.

The Rangers scored in the first four frames and five of the first six.

The Padres’ offense struggled as Bryce Johnson’s two-out single in the third was all they could muster against Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi. Donovan Solano hit a leadoff single on reliever Jonathan Hernández but that was all the Friars could do.

Up next: Right-hander Adam Mazur (1-2, 7.25 ERA) will make his sixth MLB start against the Rangers right-hander Jon Gray (3-4, 3.77 ERA) on Wednesday in the middle game of the three-game set. First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. PT (7:05 p.m. CT) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.