Eovaldi outlasts Verlander as Rangers beay Giants 2-0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi and three relievers combined on an a four-hitter in the Texas Rangers’ 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.

Wyatt Langford had three hits and an RBI to help the Rangers win in manager Bruce Bochy’s return to Oracle Park.

Eovaldi (2-2) allowed three hits and had seven strikeouts with one walk in his 300th career game in the majors while outdueling three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander. The walk was just the third allowed by Eovaldi in 36 2/3 innings this season.

Chris Martin retired four batters, Robert Garcia set down three and Luke Jackson worked the ninth for his eighth save.

Wilmer Flores came close to tying the game in the ninth when his long drive to left went foul. Jackson then threw an 88 mph slider past Flores for the final out.

Verlander (0-2), whose 21 career victories against the Rangers are second against Texas, allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.

Bochy, who guided the Giants to three World Series championships, was welcomed back into town and greeted with a rousing ovation from the Oracle Park crowd. He spent much of pregame talking with fans and signing autographs.

Key moment

After Langford’s RBI-double in the sixth inning was challenged by the Giants and overturned into a ground-rule double with no run scored, Joc Pederson drove in his first run of the season when he hit a slow roller that glanced off the glove of Giants’ second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald and rolled into right field.

Key stat

Verlander generated 13 swing-and-misses on the 89 pitches he threw. Verlander’s season-high for whiffs is 20, which he did iagainst the Cincinnati Reds in his first start with the Giants.

Up next

Rangers RHP Tyler Mahle (3-0, 0.68 ERA) was set to face Giants LHP Robbie Ray (3-0, 4.07) on Saturday.

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