Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers shut down Orioles

Marcus Semien ripped a three-run homer and Corey Seager added a solo shot as the Texas Rangers pounded out a 6-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in the decisive game of a three-game series

Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers shut down Orioles

Marcus Semien ripped a three-run homer and Corey Seager added a solo shot as the Texas Rangers pounded out a 6-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in the decisive game of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

Texas rode the right arms of aces Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi to win the final two contests of the set, with Eovaldi (5-3) backing up deGrom’s six sharp innings on Tuesday by pitching five scoreless innings on Wednesday.

Eovaldi, making his second start after missing a month because of right triceps fatigue, allowed just two hits and a walk and struck out five while lowering his ERA to 1.75 through 14 outings.

Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano (6-5) continued his recent struggles, yielding six runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out five in 4 2/3 innings. Sugano has surrendered 13 runs on 19 hits over 9 2/3 innings in his past two starts, and he has a 8.87 ERA in his past five outings.

The Rangers outhit Baltimore 11-5, with Josh Smith collecting three hits and Alejandro Osuna and Jonah Heim adding two each. Jacob Webb and Dane Dunning followed Eovaldi to the mound, with Dunning allowing two hits and a walk over the final three innings to earn his second save.

No player had more than one hit for the Orioles. Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser and Ryan O’Hearn each had a double.

The Rangers took the lead in the third inning when Semien homered to left-center field. The blast drove home Billy McKinney and Smith, who had walked and singled, respectively.

Texas added on in the fourth when Ezequiel Duran’s two-out single drove in Osuna and Heim, both who had singled. Seager homered leading off the fifth to push the lead to 6-0.

Henderson doubled to open the ninth inning and went to third on a groundout before Dunning struck out Gary Sanchez and Cowser flied out to left to end the game.