Nathan Eovaldi’s streak of innings without a walk for the Texas Rangers came to an end when he walked Boston’s Masataka Yoshida with one out in the first inning.
Eovaldi had an 0-2 count on Yoshida but then threw four straight balls. Yoshida checked his swing on a full-count pitch, a high 95.6 mph fastball. Catcher Jonah Heim asked third base umpire D.J. Reyburn for a call, and Reyburn ruled that Yoshida did not swing.
This walk was the first Eovaldi had allowed in 43 1/3 innings, breaking his record of facing 167 consecutive batters without issuing a walk. These records were the longest in the history of the Rangers and the Washington Senators, according to Elias.
Eovaldi had gone six starts without walking a batter. His last walk before this was to Milwaukee’s Willy Adames on June 26.
The 34-year-old did not allow a walk in July. He became the first Texas pitcher and the first pitcher in the majors since at least 1933 to complete a month with at least six starts without walking anyone.
Eovaldi was the first major league pitcher to achieve at least 30 strikeouts without a walk over at least six starts since Corey Kluber did it for Cleveland in 2018.
Before joining the Rangers in 2023, Eovaldi spent over four seasons with the Red Sox.
