Clutch Nathan Eovaldi Extends Scoreless Streak for Texas Rangers

Nathan Eovaldi bailed out the Texas Rangers for the second straight start on Saturday in the City of Angels.

In the 10-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, Eovaldi (4-2) threw eight shutout innings a night after the Rangers bullpen blew a lead and lost in the 10th inning.

In Eovaldi’s last start against the New York Yankees on April 29, he threw a complete game shutout as the Rangers won 2-0. That came one game after the Rangers lost Jacob deGrom to right elbow inflammation.

Eovaldi now has a streak of 20 scoreless innings, dating back to the last three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on April 24. Plus, Eovaldi did something a starting pitcher hasn’t done in nearly four years with two straight starts of at least 8.0 shutout innings.

TEX starter Nathan Eovaldi had 8.0 SHO IP tonight in Anaheim after his CG SHO last Sat. vs. NYY. He is 1st MLB pitcher with back-to-back scoreless starts of 8.0+ IP since STL's Jack Flaherty, 9/3/19 and 9/8/19. Last A.L. pitcher to do it: HOU's Dallas Keuchel, 6/25/15 & 6/30/15.
— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) May 7, 2023

“I was able to locate the cutter and the splitter when I needed to tonight and I think that really helped me out a lot,” Eovaldi said.

On Saturday, Eovaldi was in command from the start. He allowed five hits and two walks, striking out five hitters. He cut into his ERA once again, trimming it down to 3.22. He threw 107 pitches, but was only up 3-0 going into the top of the ninth before the Rangers exploded for seven runs.

“What a great job Nate did,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He gave us what we needed. That was a tight ball game until the last inning.”

Once the Rangers had a comfortable lead, Bochy shook Eovaldi’s hand in the dugout, indicating the right-hander’s night was over.

“They hadn’t told me I was done yet,” Eovaldi said. “Anytime we can put up runs it’s a good thing.”

Eovaldi’s previous start was perhaps the best of his career. He posted the first nine-inning complete-game shutout of his career, allowing three hits and striking out eight in 113 pitches. The Rangers were bullpen-depleted in the wake of deGrom’s early exit and Eovaldi came through.

It was the first complete-game shutout by a Rangers starter since Martín Pérez on May 20, 2022, and the first by a native Texan since Roger Pavlik did it in 1995.

The Rangers were coming off a 5-4 loss to the Angels on Friday, using four relievers because starter Dane Dunning, who pitched brilliantly in his first start of the season, was only able to go five innings.

The bullpen lost a 4-0 lead starting in the bottom of the eighth.

Eovaldi gave the relief staff a break. The Rangers brought in Yerry Rodriguez to work the ninth and he gave up the Angels’ only run, a solo home run by Brandon Drury.

For his second straight turn, Eovaldi’s timing couldn’t have been better.

“It was big for us,” Eovaldi said. “Anytime we can give the bullpen a break, it’s huge for us.”

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