ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi responded to an early lead in Game 1 of the World Series by striking out the side in a shutdown inning.
For the first time this October, Big Game Nate couldn't keep it going.
The Texas Rangers right-hander gave up three hits in a span of four batters after striking out four in a row and was on the hook for his first loss after wins in his first four postseason starts this year. Corey Seager's tying two-run homer in the ninth inning left Eovaldi with a no-decision.
It was the first World Series appearance for Eovaldi since he was with Boston in 2018 and pitched the final six innings of a 3-2, 18-inning loss in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Even though Eovaldi gave up the Max Muncy's game-ending homer leading off the bottom of the 18th in LA, Boston manager Alex Cora credited Eovaldi with saving the bullpen and helping the Red Sox win the Series in five games.
That made him an October hero, but this was his first actual start in the Fall Classic.
The 33-year-old Texan's postseason reputation has only grown since that relief appearance with Boston, capped by his best showing so far at 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA coming into this World Series.
Six batters in, it was much of the same — with strikeouts of Gabriel Moreno, Christian Walker and Tommy Pham in the second — until rookie Corbin Carroll's two-run triple in the third erased a 2-0 Texas lead.
Eovaldi couldn't keep it together even after the Rangers got a run for a 3-3 tie. Pham connected on the second pitch of the fourth inning for a solo homer.
The splitter was Eovaldi's best pitch early, getting swinging strikes on six of the first seven times he threw it. But the liner from Carroll past center fielder Leody Taveras and Pham's third postseason homer both came off the pitch.
Eovaldi gave up an RBI double to Ketel Marte in the fifth and was replaced two batters later by Dane Dunning after walking Walker.
The All-Star pitcher gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings after allowing seven over 26 innings in his first four starts. He did set a Rangers single-game postseason record with eight strikeouts.
Eovaldi had to rebuild his stamina late in the season after missing a month and a half with a right forearm strain. But he was ready for the postseason. He had gone at least six innings in each of previous four postserason starts.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
