ARLINGTON -- Nathan Eovaldi was in a jam of his own creation.
The Rangers ace had allowed back-to-back two-out singles to the Orioles’ eight- and nine-hole hitters Colton Cowser and Carlos Narváez. Then he walked Gunnar Henderson, leaving the bases loaded for Pete Alonso.
But if there’s anything Eovaldi does well, it’s getting out of his own jams. Eovaldi placed a 2-2 splitter right where he wanted it, freezing Alonso for a called strike three to end the inning and strand the runners.
That bases-loaded strikeout may have been the biggest moment of the night. Eovaldi allowed a run in the second inning, but managed to keep the Orioles at bay for much of the evening, while his own offense scuffled against Shane Baz.
By leaving the bases loaded and keeping Baltimore from adding to its lead, Eovaldi kept the Rangers within one run at a pivotal point in the series opener.
The Rangers ultimately won, 2-1, thanks to a go-ahead two-run homer from Joc Pederson in the sixth inning, as he continued his latest heater.