ARLINGTON, Texas (July 25, 2025) — Nathan Eovaldi made a triumphant return to the mound, and the Texas Rangers continued their midseason surge with an 8-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Globe Life Field.
In his first outing since the All-Star break, Eovaldi (8-3) showed no signs of rust, tossing five scoreless innings of three-hit baseball. The 35-year-old veteran struck out seven and worked around a season-high four walks, helping Texas notch its fourth consecutive win while dealing the slumping Braves their third straight loss.
Despite being left off the All-Star roster, Eovaldi received a $100,000 bonus from the Rangers and validated the club’s faith with a dominant performance. It was also his first start since missing a scheduled appearance against Detroit’s Tarik Skubal due to back tightness.
“He was in control from the first pitch,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said postgame. “He set the tone for us tonight, and that’s exactly what we needed.”
Rangers Jump Ahead Early
Texas wasted no time getting on the board. Sam Haggerty, inserted at the top of the lineup, sparked the offense with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first. After stealing his 10th base of the season, Haggerty came home on Marcus Semien’s sacrifice fly to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
In the second, catcher Jonah Heim added to the advantage with a two-out solo homer — his ninth of the season — sending a Joey Wentz (2-2) fastball into the right-field seats to make it 2-0.
Rookie Wyatt Langford continued his impressive campaign with a clutch two-out RBI double in the fourth, and Haggerty drove in another run with a double in the fifth, pushing the Rangers’ lead to 4-0 and ending Wentz’s night after 4 1/3 innings.
Wentz finished the outing with four earned runs on six hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.
Eighth-Inning Onslaught
While the Braves trimmed the deficit to 4-1 on Michael Harris II’s leadoff homer in the seventh off reliever Jacob Latz, the Rangers put the game out of reach with a four-run outburst in the eighth inning. Texas sent nine batters to the plate, stringing together three singles, two walks, a hit batter, and a sac fly. The inning didn’t feature any extra-base hits but demonstrated the Rangers’ ability to manufacture runs through smart baserunning and plate discipline.
“It wasn’t flashy,” Bochy noted, “but it was a classic team inning — everyone doing their job, passing the baton.”
Seager Keeps On Base Streak Alive
Corey Seager didn’t record a hit, but his two walks were enough to extend his on-base streak to 25 games, currently the longest active streak in the American League. The star shortstop continues to be an engine for the Rangers’ offense, even when not swinging the bat.
Injury Return for Braves, but Offense Stalls
The Braves welcomed back slugger Austin Riley, who had been sidelined since July 11 with an abdominal strain. Riley, however, went 0-for-4 in his return, and Atlanta’s offense remained dormant outside of Harris’s homer. The Braves managed just five hits on the night and were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
With the loss, Atlanta falls to 44-59 and continues to search for stability on the road. Texas improves to 55-50 and remains in the thick of the AL playoff race.
Up Next
Game two of the series is set for Saturday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT. The Rangers are expected to send right-hander Dane Dunning (4-6, 4.38 ERA) to the mound, while the Braves counter with righty Bryce Elder (3-7, 5.22 ERA). The game will be streamed on Bally Sports Southwest and MLB.tv, with radio coverage on 105.3 The Fan.
As the second half of the season heats up, the Rangers appear to be trending in the right direction — armed with experience, pitching depth, and a lineup that’s starting to click at the right time.
