Nathan Eovaldi's Hot Streak Is The One Thing Stopping The Angels From A Real Win

Alright, Seattle, you gotta hear this. While we're out here grinding, down in Anaheim, the Angels just had their best offensive night in almost a month, blasting four homers and putting up nine runs against Texas on Friday. That's a huge win, right? You'd think so, but here's the kicker: they're trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since early May. The problem? They're running straight into a pitcher who's absolutely dealing, and it's gonna take more than a few dingers to break *this* curse.

Eovaldi's Dominance Is No Joke

Hold up, because the Rangers are sending Nathan Eovaldi to the mound, and this dude is on fire. We're talking a veteran right-hander with a 5-4 record and a 3.62 ERA who has allowed just *one run* over his last 22 innings, winning his last three starts. That's absurd, people! He's 7-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 16 career appearances against the Angels, including a 2-0 record with a ridiculous 0.69 ERA in two starts last season, where he gave up only one earned run over 13 innings. The 36-year-old was scratched with left side tightness on May 11, but he bounced back strong, throwing seven shutout innings against Houston in an 8-0 victory, allowing only five hits while striking out eight. He even dropped 19 swings-and-misses, 13 of those on his splitter alone! He said he "felt good" and had a "good game plan," attacking the zone and not falling behind. Sounds like he's ready to shut down any momentum the Angels think they've got.

Rookie Meckler's Storybook Night Can't Carry the Team

Despite Eovaldi's terrifying form, the Angels offense *did* wake up. They scored six runs and two homers in just three innings against Jacob deGrom on Friday! This was the first time they'd scored nine runs in a game since an 11-9, 10-inning loss back on April 26. Shortstop Zach Neto blasted two homers, one on deGrom's first pitch, marking his 12th career leadoff homer, tying for second in team history. But the real storybook moment? Left fielder Wade Meckler hit his first major league homer, a 403-foot, three-run shot into the bleachers in his first at-bat with the Angels. The 26-year-old Anaheim native grew up going to games there, idolizing Mike Trout who was right there next to him in center field. Meckler even made a highlight-reel backhanded catch in the first! Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Neto and Meckler "really set the tone for the game." Meckler, who played 20 big-league games with the Giants in 2023, called it a "pretty surreal moment." It's an amazing individual story, but can it lift a team that's 7-24 over its last 31 games? Look, the Angels are trotting out rookie Walbert Urena (1-4, 2.70 ERA) against Eovaldi. It's Urena's first career appearance against Texas, but he's been decent lately with a 1.64 ERA over his last four starts, including six shutout innings in a 2-1 win over the A's on Monday. Still, the Angels haven't won back-to-back games since May 5-6. That's a rough stretch. Meanwhile, back in the Emerald City, our Mariners just handled business! **The M's grabbed a clean 2-0 shutout win over the Kansas City Royals.** That's what we love to see, boys! Let's keep that momentum rolling at T-Mobile Park.

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