Texas Rangers Pitcher Nathan Eovaldi 'Bullied' Yankees

Nathan Eovaldi threw the first complete game shutout of the season for the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, beating the New York Yankees.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi has thrown a complete-game shutout before. Not that he necessarily counts it.

Turns out before Eovaldi blanked the New York Yankees 2-0 on Saturday night, he did the same thing to the Tampa Bay Rays at the end of last season. But that game, on Oct. 4, was called after five innings due to weather.

So, yes, it counts. But this one is much more satisfying.

“It means a lot to me,” Eovaldi said. “I think it’s just being able to use all my pitches at all times. I was able to use my slider [Saturday]. I usually hang that pitch and they end up hitting it. I was able to get two or three outs with my slider.”

Eovaldi was locked in, from the first pitch he threw to the 113th pitch he threw, which turned into an Anthony Rizzo flyout.

Eovaldi gave up just three hits and didn’t walk anyone. He struck out eight and improved to 3-2.

Pitching against the Yankees was nothing new. Eovaldi pitched the rival Boston Red Sox from 2018 until signing with Texas this past offseason, and played for the Yankees from 2015-16.

“Classic Nate when he’s really on top of it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He kind of bullied us. He used both sides of the plate, was a little bit unpredictable between slowing us down a little bit with the curveball, but obviously, the cutter and the split. And stuff-wise, he was throwing hard.”

Eovaldi threw the first complete game shutout by a Rangers pitcher since Martín Pérez did it on May 20, 2022, at the Houston Astros. This was also the first complete game shutout thrown by a Rangers pitcher at Globe Life Field.

The last Rangers pitcher to throw a complete game shutout in Arlington was Mike Minor, who did it across the street that Globe Life Park on April 16, 2019.

Eovaldi graduated from Alvin High School in southeast Texas— same as Rangers legend Nolan Ryan — thus becoming the first native Texan to throw a complete game shutout for the Rangers since Roger Pavlik did it on Sept. 7, 1995.

Ryan, by the way, threw six complete game shutouts with the Rangers, the last on June 11, 1991.

Against the Yankees, Eovaldi became the first Rangers pitcher to toss a complete game shutout since Derek Holland did it on June 27, 2013. Bob Tewksbury was the last Rangers pitcher to do so in Arlington on July 7, 1995.

Rangers pitchers who have thrown complete game shutouts vs. the Yankees all-time… pic.twitter.com/lVoom3w3cr

— CJ (@CJNitkowski) April 30, 2023

On a day in which the Rangers learned that Jacob deGrom would miss at least 15 days with right elbow inflammation, and during a week in which the bullpen has been embattled, Eovaldi’s performance was a sight to see for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy.

He said there was no question he would allow Eovaldi to finish the game. The bullpen had no one warming up in the top of the ninth.

“He was on,” Bochy said. “He had all four of his pitches, great command and he maintained it all night.”

Rangers catcher Jonah Heim caught Eovaldi for the first time in the regular season.

“It was easy on me,” Heim said. “Whatever I put down he seemed to execute so that makes my life easy and we can just follow the game plan until we need to make some adjustments.”

Eovaldi needed few adjustments on Saturday night.

American League West-leading Texas (16-11) goes for the series win Sunday at 1:35 p.m. CT with Martίn Pérez (3-1, 2.60) on the hill. Nestor Cortes (3-1, 3.49) goes for New York. The Rangers lead the series 2-1 after dropping the opener.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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