Introduction to Nathan Eovaldi’s Season
ARLINGTON — OK, full disclosure, this story has a shelf life of, oh, less than 24 hours.
So we’ll make this snappy.
That’s sort of how Nathan Eovaldi has operated this season anyways.
Eovaldi, the Texas Rangers’ ace, pitched seven innings of one-run ball in a walkoff 4-3 win vs. the Cleveland Guardians in the process. He retired 15 consecutive batters at one point, struck out nine, walked none and walked off the Globe Life Field mound with his team in a position to win.
Rangers
Nathan Eovaldi’s Performance
The 35-year-old established himself as possibly the league’s best statistical pitcher, too, in the process.
Eovaldi’s 1.73 ERA is now the best among all qualified pitchers in baseball by nearly half of a run after he logged his 130th inning of the season in his team’s 130th game. Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes’ 2.16 ERA is the only one that’s even remotely close to Eovaldi’s mark. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, with a 2.32 ERA, is the closest in the American League.
Related: Watch: Joc Pederson’s walkoff hit caps Rangers’ lightning fast rally to beat Guardians
League Leaderboards
A pitcher must have totaled at least one inning per team game to qualify for league leaderboards and, when the Rangers and Guardians start their game Saturday night, Eovaldi’s time atop the leaderboard will expire until his next scheduled start vs. the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
That will likely remain the case for each start that he makes the remainder of this regular season. He’ll likely remain atop the board, too, if he continues what has been one of the singular best seasons in club history.
Quotes from Nathan Eovaldi
“I go out there and I try to be able to go deep into the game,” Eovaldi said. “Our whole starting staff, our goal is to go out there and try to be as consistent as we can and have that success. To me, pitching wins championships, and we have a great pitching staff right now.”
His 1.73 ERA is the eighth-lowest that any pitcher has logged in their first 22 starts during the Wild Card era. He entered Friday’s game with a league-best 1.89 ERA in games started after a team loss this season and only lowered it when he largely silenced the club directly ahead of Texas in the AL Wild Card standings.
Manager’s Comments
“Not just a great effort,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said, “but a gutty effort by Nate. That’s why we won the game.”
Immortalized! See photos from the Rangers’ unveiling of Adrian Beltre’s statue outside Globe Life Field
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Conclusion
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FAQs
Q: What is Nathan Eovaldi’s current ERA?
A: Nathan Eovaldi’s current ERA is 1.73, which is the best among all qualified pitchers in baseball.
Q: How many innings did Nathan Eovaldi pitch in the season?
A: Nathan Eovaldi pitched 130 innings in the season.
Q: What is the significance of Nathan Eovaldi’s performance?
A: Nathan Eovaldi’s performance is significant because it establishes him as possibly the league’s best statistical pitcher, and his 1.73 ERA is the eighth-lowest that any pitcher has logged in their first 22 starts during the Wild Card era.
