ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi gave up three hits and struck out eight in seven innings while Wyatt Langford and Joc Pederson had three hits each for the Texas Rangers in a 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
Eovaldi (10-8), who allowed one run and walked one, has five starts of at least seven innings this season, second in the major leagues behind Philadelphia’s Christopher Sánchez with six.
Langford’s three hits included two doubles and matched his season high. Ezequiel Duran had a triple, a single and two RBIs.
Seattle’s Bryan Woo (7-7) gave up five runs on nine hits, matching a season high, in five innings. Woo is 1-7 on the road this season with a 6.52 ERA while 6-0 at home with a 2.20 ERA.
Texas took a 3-0 lead in the first inning with three extra-base hits and a walk.
The Rangers scored twice in the second on another double by Langford to score Pederson and Duran’s single to bring home Langford.
Nicky Lopez doubled home two runs in the seventh.
Texas scored four times in innings when the first two batters were retired.
The Mariners’ J.P. Crawford, back after missing four games with a sore left wrist, doubled home Luke Raley in the fifth inning with one of his two hits.
Seattle’s Josh Naylor extended his on-base streak to 16 games with a second-inning walk.
By winning the first two games of the four-game series, the Rangers (53-51) lead the AL West by two games over second-place Houston (52-54) for their largest divisional lead this season. The Mariners (51-54) are third, 2 1/2 games behind Texas after losing four straight.
Up next
Sunday’s game will match starters from Stetson University: Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom (7-6, 3.76 ERA) against Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (8-6, 3.38).
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