OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi struck out the most in a game of his career with 12, and the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 4-0 on Thursday night. which was the return of manager Bruce Bochy to Northern California.
Eovaldi (5-2) extended his scoreless streak to 28 innings. He delivered his third standout performance in a row as the AL West-leading Rangers kept up their good run.
Marcus Semien homered against his former team, watched by 2,949 fans, the second fewest fans this season at the Oakland Coliseum.
The A’s suffered their fifth straight loss.
Eovaldi, who was an All-Star in 2021 with Boston and signed with the Rangers in December, threw three-hit ball with a walk over 8 1/3 innings.
He is the third pitcher in franchise history to have made three consecutive starts with at least eight shutout innings. The others are the Venezuelan Martín Pérez (2014) and Charlie Hough (1983).
Bochy helped win three World Series titles for the team across the bay, the San Francisco Giants, where he left after the 2019 season.
The loss went to Luis Medina (0-2), who allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.
For the Rangers, the Cuban Adolis García 4-0. Dominicans Ezequiel Durán 4-0, Leody Taveras 3-1 with an RBI.
For the Athletics, the Dominican Esteury Ruiz 4-2. Colombian Jordan Diaz 3-0.