Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws to the Atlanta Braves in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, July 25, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia (53), Jonah Heim, center right, and Ezequiel Duran (20) celebrate Heim’s solo home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Friday, July 25, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers’ Wyatt Langford connects for a run-scoring double in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 25, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Atlanta Braves left fielder Jurickson Profar makes a leaping attempt to catch a run-scoring double by Texas Rangers’ Sam Haggerty in the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 25, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Eovaldi pitches 5 scoreless innings as Rangers beat Braves 8-3
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi pitched three-hit ball over five scoreless innings in his first start since the All-Star break and the Texas Rangers beat the Atlanta Braves 8-3 on Friday night.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws to the Atlanta Braves in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, July 25, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi pitched three-hit ball over five scoreless innings in his first start since the All-Star break and the Texas Rangers beat the Atlanta Braves 8-3 on Friday night.
Eovaldi (8-3) threw 53 of his 86 pitches for strikes as Texas won its fourth straight and handed Atlanta a third straight loss. He struck out seven but walked a season-high four.
It was also Eovaldi’s first start since the Rangers paid him a $100,000 All-Star Game bonus even though the 35-year-old wasn’t selected despite a 7-3 record and a 1.58 ERA. He missed his first start after the break — a matchup with AL All-Star starter Tarik Skubal and the Tigers — with back tightness.
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Sam Haggerty singled leading off the first against Joey Wentz (2-2) before stealing his 10th base and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Marcus Semien for a 1-0 lead.
Jonah Heim hit his ninth home run — a two-out shot in the second for a 2-0 lead. Wyatt Langford had a two-out RBI double in the fourth and Sam Haggerty doubled in a run in the fifth for a 4-0 advantage. Three singles, two walks, a hit batter and a sac fly led to four runs in the eighth.
Michael Harris II hit his eighth home run — a leadoff shot off Jacob Latz in the seventh to cut it to 4-1.
Wentz allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Corey Seager went 0 for 3 but walked twice to extend his on-base streak to 25 games for the Rangers.
Austin Riley went 0 for 4 in his first game for Atlanta since suffering an abdominal strain on July 11.
Key moment
Texas had allowed two runs or fewer in a club-record-tying seven straight games until Caleb Boushley surrendered two in the ninth to end the run.
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Key stat
Seager is the only player to have an on-base streak of 24-plus games in each of the last three seasons.
Up next
Braves RHP Grant Holmes (4-9, 3.81) starts against Rangers rookie RHP Kumar Rocker (4-4, 5.66) on Saturday.
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