4-2 – Leody gets last laugh as Rangers fall 8-3 in finale

Apr 1, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Leody Taveras (3) gestures to his dugout after driving in two runs with a double during the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Baltimore Orioles scored eight runs. If you had told me that the first week of the season would end with Texas taking their first two series on the road but with their two losses coming in the starts made by Nathan Eovaldi, I would have said “well, ok, baseball do be like that sometimes” but it certainly wouldn’t have been my first guess.

Near my last guess would have been how hittable Eovaldi has been so far. Like in his outing on Opening Day, Eovaldi ran into two-out troubles with Baltimore scoring their first four runs — two in the 2nd, two in the 3rd — after Eovaldi had retired two hitters. That isn’t to say Eovaldi was unlucky.

He simply wasn’t good today. And even after he got through those two-out run-scoring rallies, he allowed a home run in the fifth and saw another inherited run hit his ledger all while finishing the day with just four innings pitched with six runs allowed on eight hits and three walks with five strikeouts. You know Eovaldi isn’t on track when he’s walking guys.

Eovaldi hasn’t had a season in which his walk rate was a number above 2 since 2019. Mostly though, Eovaldi just hasn’t looked right so far this season in his two starts. For a guy coming off a great season, albeit one that was lousy with various injuries, it certainly a concern but one the Rangers are hoping their veteran bulldog can work through.