Texas Rangers Starter Nathan Eovaldi Owns Longest Streak in MLB

Nathan Eovaldi continues to put up scoreless innings for the Texas Rangers and is closing in on a team record.

Matthew Postins | May 12, 2023

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Nathan Eovaldi is locked in, of that there can be no question.

For the third straight time, the Texas Rangers starter threw at least eight scoreless innings and came within an out of pitching his second complete game shutout in three starts in the 4-0 victory at the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night.

The American League-West leading Rangers (23-14) look to take a 2-0 series Friday night (8:40 p.m. CT) at Oakland Coliseum. Martín Pérez (4-1, 3.86) starts for Texas against Ken Waldichuk (1-2, 7.25).

Eovaldi retired the first two hitters in the ninth inning and broke his career high for strikeouts when he fanned Nick Allen on a 96-mph fastball.

But after giving up a double to Esteury Ruiz and walk to Ryan Noda, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy went to closer Will Smith for the final out.

But that did nothing to diminish how well Eovaldi (5-2) pitched on Thursday, or how well he’s pitched in his last three starts.

“I’ve faced him when he’s like this and it’s not fun,” Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien said.

Ruiz was the only Athletic that had any real success against Eovaldi. He went 2-for-4, giving him two of Oakland’s three hits.

Eovaldi struck out 12 and walked one. He now has 25 strikeouts and three walks in his last three starts. At one point Thursday, he struck out six straight Oakland hitters.

“That’s pretty good for me,” Eovaldi said. “I don’t usually get that many strikeouts in a row, let alone in a game.”

Eovaldi now has a streak of 28 2/3 shutout innings, a career high for the Alvin, Texas native. That dates back to the last three innings of his start against the Cincinnati Reds on April 24. In that span, he’s thrown a complete game shutout against the New York Yankees on April 29 and eight shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels last Saturday.

He said three of his four pitches were working well for him on Thursday, and the fourth — his curveball — came around during the game.

“I think we’re at that part of the season where it’s nice to hit that groove and just repeat everything and not think too much about it,” Eovaldi said.

It’s now the longest streak in the Majors this season, surpassing the 28-inning streak of Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen. He’s closing in on the Rangers team record held by Kenny Rogers, who spun 39 straight scoreless innings from May 6-June 1, 1995.

He’s the third Rangers pitcher to strike out 10 hitters before throwing 80 pitches this season. Andrew Heaney and Jacob deGrom have each done it once.

Also, per MLB.com, Eovaldi recorded at least eight shutout innings for the third game in a row. That allowed him to join Pérez (2014) and Rangers Hall-of-Famer Charlie Hough (1983) as the only pitchers in team history with three consecutive starts of eight-plus scoreless innings.

It may only be coincidental that Eovaldi’s hot streak comes as deGrom tries to work his way back from right elbow inflammation. But Bochy said this is what you hope happens when your ace goes down — other starters step up.

“We have five guys that can go out there and give us a chance to win,” Bochy said. “(Eovaldi) is one of the elite pitchers in the game and he’s throwing 95 mph in that last inning. It’s funny how when Jake went down, he went up.”

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Published May 12, 2023

MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers for Fan Nation/SI and also writes about the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. He also covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com.