All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will pitch against one of his former teams Thursday night, hoping he can help the visiting Texas Rangers win the deciding game of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.
Eovaldi, 33, spent 4 1/2 seasons with the Red Sox. He helped them win the 2018 World Series after he was acquired in a midseason trade.
“Obviously I had this on my schedule and once I was able to kind of map everything out and found out we had the possibility of being able to start this one, I was super excited,” Eovaldi said of the Thursday outing. “I was excited just to be able to come back here alone, but to be able to pitch in front of the fans again would be awesome.
“I miss it here. Everything we were able to do in (2018) and the personal achievements I was able to accomplish as well. I had such an amazing time here in my career, everything is near and dear to my heart.”
Eovaldi (10-3, 2.64 ERA) became a free agent following the 2022 season. He rejected a qualifying offer from the Red Sox and signed a two-year deal with the Rangers, who made it clear their offseason priority was to upgrade the rotation.
His major league career has also included stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.
Eovaldi has made seven career appearances against the Red Sox, six of which were starts. He is 3-0 with a 4.45 ERA against Boston.
Thursday’s start means Eovaldi could be available to start for the American League in the All-Star Game at Seattle on Tuesday.
“My main focus right now is Thursday,” he said. “After that start, I’ll be able to think about it more. It’s just an honor to be able to go out there and represent the Rangers at the All-Star Game.”
Right-hander Kutter Crawford (3-4, 3.92) is Boston’s probable starting pitcher for the Thursday game. Crawford collected a win on Saturday, when he pitched 5 2/3 innings in Boston’s 7-6 victory over Toronto. He limited the Blue Jays to two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out five.
Crawford has made one career appearance against Texas, and he didn’t allow a run in two innings of relief on May 13, 2022.
Texas won the series opener 6-2 on Tuesday, but Boston earned a 4-2 victory on Wednesday. Before the Wednesday win, the Red Sox had lost their past four home games.
Texas shortstop Corey Seager collected three hits on Wednesday. He has reached base in 24 consecutive games and is batting .392 in that span.
Although the Red Sox are hovering around the .500 mark, they are in last place in the American League East. Boston manager Alex Cora said a postseason berth is still possible, but his team must pick up the pace.
“Obviously everybody looks at the wild card and more teams make it into the playoffs, but at some point you have to start making a move,” Cora told WEEI radio on Wednesday. “If you’re at .500, it’s going to be hard. Is (a wild-card berth) obtainable? Of course, yes, but I think we have to be more consistent at maintaining the winning streaks. So far we haven’t.”
Texas has lost five of its past seven games while Boston has won four of five.
–Field Level Media