Nathan Eovaldi Found His Groove and the D-backs Are About to Feel It

Nathan Eovaldi is cooking again. After a brutal start to the season where he gave up 23 runs and nine homers in his first six starts, the Rangers' right-hander has flipped the script with back-to-back dominant outings against the Yankees. Now he's taking that momentum into Monday's series opener against Arizona in Arlington, and the D-backs better be paying attention.

From Rough to Redemption

Eovaldi came out the gate struggling hard. His first six starts were a disaster, dropping four decisions with a 4.15 ERA while getting absolutely shelled. But something clicked when he faced one of his former teams. On April 29, he scattered four hits over seven scoreless innings. Then last Wednesday, he was even better, allowing just one run on three hits over eight frames. Rangers skipper Skip Schumaker saw exactly what turned it around: "He had such a good game plan, such a good feel for swings. He has a game plan but also can navigate a game on his own as good as anybody, based on what he's seeing."

The 36-year-old's track record against Arizona is solid too. He's 3-1 with a 4.17 ERA in 11 career appearances against the D-backs, including eight starts. That's the kind of resume that wins series.

Rangers Riding Shutout Momentum

Texas was limping along before things shifted in a hurry. The Rangers had dropped five of their last six games until they strung together back-to-back shutouts against the Cubs, crushing them 6-0 and 3-0 over the weekend. The Cubs? They were crushing everyone on a 10-game winning streak before that pair of losses.

Josh Jung is the one swinging hot. After an ugly 0-for-12 stretch three games back, he's now collected consecutive three-hit performances. The dude was on a 13-game hitting streak before that rough patch, so he's clearly locked in now.

Seager's Slump and the Rest of the D-backs Mess

Not everything is clicking in Arlington though. Corey Seager has gone completely cold, sitting at 0-for-14 with six strikeouts over his last four games. His batting average has tanked to .193 for the season. Schumaker acknowledged the grind before Sunday's game, noting that Seager has started 19 straight games without a day off. "He's still our best player," the manager said. "I don't care what he did yesterday or the day before. It means something to us when you see him in the lineup."

Arizona's Michael Soroka (4-2, 4.14 ERA) takes the mound for the D-backs and he's trying to snap a two-game losing streak. The D-backs looked awful against Milwaukee on April 30, getting torched 13-1 when Soroka gave up eight runs on 10 hits in just three innings. He bounced back better against Pittsburgh last Wednesday with one run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, though it came in a loss.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.