Texas Rangers Ace Shatters Record Books With Historic Shutout

Nathan Eovaldi threw of the greatest pitching performances in Texas Rangers history.

Apr 1, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Nathan Eovaldi may not be the Texas Rangers' ace (when Jacob deGrom's healthy, that is), but that doesn't mean he can't pitch like one.

Eovaldi turned in a pitching performance for the ages on Tuesday night, throwing a complete-game shutout against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in his second start of the season.

The two-time All-Star was simply masterful, scattering four hits (all singles) and no walks while striking out eight. He threw 70 of his 99 pitches for strikes, outdueling Carson Spiers in a 1-0 pitching duel.

In fact, Eovaldi's gem was one of the greatest starts in Rangers history -- at least since Nolan Ryan's last no-hitter.

By completing a shutout with less than 100 pitches, Eovaldi finished with the season's first "Maddux" -- a rare achievement named after Hall of Famer Greg Maddux.

According to Baseball-Reference, this was the first 1-0 Maddux in Texas franchise history during the pitch tracking era, which began in the late 1980s.

Eovaldi had to be close to perfect on a night where the Rangers' scuffling offense managed only one run (in the top of the first), and he was. He kept the Reds off the board for the entire game, making the 1-0 lead stand up for nine tense innings.

The 35-year-old righty was so dominant that Cincinnati barely even threatened to score. Eovaldi retired the first 12 batters he faced -- striking out five in a row at one point -- and didn't allow a runner into scoring position until the seventh inning.

The Reds had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but the grizzled veteran closed the door by getting their best player, Elly De La Cruz, to ground out to end the game.

This was only the third career shutout and fifth career complete game for Eovaldi, who's now in his 14th season. The two-time World Series champion has accomplished a lot during that time, but Tuesday's masterpiece will go down as arguably the best outing of his career.

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