Rangers' struggling offense can't capitalize on another Eovaldi gem

NEW YORK – The Rangers’ pitching staff has to be almost perfect if it wants to win games these days because the offense has been nonexistent. Thursday afternoon was no different.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi was top-notch on the mound, holding the Yankees to five hits and one walk in six innings and striking out six batters. But a home run to second baseman Jorbit Vivas proved costly as Texas lost the game, 1-0, at Yankee Stadium.

The Rangers have dropped five of their past six games, scoring 16 runs in that span.

“Every night, [the starting rotation] gives us a chance to win a ballgame. We’re trying to get this [offense] going. We keep talking about it, but [the pitching staff is] doing [its] job. It’s the silver lining through all of this,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “If they keep that up, it will get turned around. You have to keep the guys going.”

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Vivas swung at the first pitch and hit his first Major League home run. After allowing that dinger, Eovaldi retired six of the next eight hitters he faced.

“This is a tough loss today. I made one bad pitch,” Eovaldi said. “Maybe a different mix to Vivas. I could have gone cutter in right there. I was more so trying to come in to open up with the down and away again. But he jumped [on the fastball].”

What made Eovaldi the tough-luck loser? The Rangers were held scoreless in a game for the sixth time this season. The problem is, the team can’t produce with runners in scoring position, going 2-for-17 during the Yankees’ three-game sweep.

Texas’ best chance to put a run on the board occurred in the seventh inning with Yankees right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. on the mound. Marcus Semien led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch with no outs. After Jonah Heim struck out and Adolis García grounded out, Joc Pederson reached base on an infield single, putting runners at first and third.

But the threat came to an end when pinch-hitter Josh Smith struck out.

“We are not in a good spot right now. We have to make some adjustments,” Smith said. “We are struggling a little bit, myself included. We are not really getting timely hits with runners in scoring position. Their pitchers did a good job, but it’s more so on us not getting it done in situations.”

There is only so much Bochy can do. If one looks at the starting lineup, the Rangers have a handful of players with a history of success. Semien has driven in 100 runs twice in his career. Heim is the same catcher who helped Texas win a World Series title in 2023.

It also doesn’t help that Evan Carter and Corey Seager – key players in the championship run – are on the injured list and are not expected back anytime soon.

So Bochy has to deal with the hand that is dealt to him.

“We’re men. You have to deal with the little streaks you go in. We got in a few of them this year,” Bochy said.

“We are missing that hit with runners in scoring position. We have to find a way to get a run or two. We couldn’t do it. We had some chances out there. We had some pretty good hitters up. Their pitching did a great job, too. They have a great bullpen along with the starters. We just got shut down.”

The Rangers now head to Chicago to play the White Sox, who have the second-worst record in the Major Leagues. But Bochy warned that the three-game series will not be easy. It’s not that simple to say, Texas has to reset and get back on track.

“We can’t take anything for granted. We better go in there and play our best baseball. The White Sox are playing better baseball,” Bochy said. “They are getting some good pitching. We have to put this three-game sweep behind us.

“You hate getting swept. It’s never a good feeling.”