Rangers waste bullpen's short-notice masterpiece after Eovaldi's scratch vs. Diamondbacks

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung reacts after striking out with runners on second and third during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Arlington. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News) ARLINGTON — The somewhat ragtag horde of relief pitchers that the Rangers assembled painted their collective Mona Lisa-esque masterpiece under duress Monday night.

The offense offered its best Vincenzo Peruggia impression and stole it out from underneath them. That metaphor admittedly implies the existence of better execution than what was actually displayed. The Rangers lost 1-0 vs.

the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field only hours after right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his scheduled start with left side tightness . It sprung an unplanned bullpen game from baseball's best bullpen, one without a bulk reliever available to eat the lion's share of workload, and a five-man quintet of arms delivered one of the best emergency makeshift starts that can be concocted given the circumstances. It was nearly a triumph, too, if not for a lineup that failed to capitalize on its earliest opportunity, squandered another late, advanced all of one runner past first base and remains bottom-three in runs scored leaguewide through a quarter of the season.

"Good day on the pitching side and defense," Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. "We just couldn't get anything going on the offensive side. " The Rangers had one meaningful chance in the first inning, after the Diamondbacks scored their lone run with consecutive doubles against right-handed pitcher Jakob Junis in the top of the frame, when right fielder Brandon Nimmo and second baseman Ezequiel Duran strung together successive singles to lead off against Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Mike Soroka.