The Texas Rangers hope to get a lift from the return of ace pitcher Nathan Eovaldi when they clash with the Seattle Mariners on Friday night in the opener of a key three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Eovaldi (4-3, 1.56 ERA) will return to the mound to start for the Rangers after missing almost a month with right triceps fatigue. He will oppose fellow right-hander Logan Gilbert (2-2, 3.12).
At the midpoint of the season, it’s a crucial series for both teams as they seek to not fall further behind the Houston Astros. The Mariners are 6 1/2 games back in the American League West, with the Rangers eight back.
The Friday contest will be a rematch of a clash Eovaldi and Gilbert started on April 13 that was won by Seattle 3-1. Gilbert outdueled Eovaldi that day, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over five innings while striking out seven.
Texas returns home to open a six-game homestand after winning two straight in Baltimore to wrap up a 4-2 road trip. The Rangers have won their past two series after being swept in a three-game set at home by Kansas City June 17-19 and have fought their way back to a 40-41 record for the season.
“We just got to take it one game at a time,” Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien said. “We can’t try and take off — we have to play well each and every day.”
Eovaldi was among the league leaders in ERA when he went on the shelf after pitching just two innings against the Blue Jays at home on May 27. He is 2-1 in his previous five starts, allowing just two runs on 16 hits in 26 2/3 innings.
Eovaldi is 2-4 with a 5.31 ERA in 12 career starts against Seattle.
The Mariners head to Texas for the final three contests of a 10-game road trip on the heels of a 10-1 loss in Minnesota on Thursday. On the trip, Seattle has won a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs and split four games with the Twins.
Much of the talk about the Mariners over the first half of the season has been the power surge by catcher Cal Raleigh, who already has set MLB records for most home runs by a catcher and switch hitter before the All-Star break. With 32 home runs in 80 games, Raleigh also is on pace to break the single-season American League record for homers of 62, set by Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees in 2022.
Raleigh’s performance has not been a surprise for his Seattle teammates.
“I see all the things (Raleigh) does to get ready for a game,” Mariners closer Andres Munoz said. “It’s amazing how he prepares mentally and physically. Us, as his teammates, know why he’s having that success. It’s because all the effort he puts into everything that he’s doing. It’s giving him results.”
Gilbert is 1-1 in his two starts after coming off the injured list, where he’d been since April 25 with a right elbow flexor strain. He got the 14-6 win against the Cubs on Sunday, pitching five innings and giving up four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
Gilbert has started 14 times against the Rangers in his career, going 5-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 85 innings.
–Field Level Media
