Texas Rangers Seek Series Win Against Padres

The Texas Rangers offense exploded for a six-run first inning on Friday night, setting the tone for a 9-7 victory over the San Diego Padres. Nathan Eovaldi will take the mound for the Rangers in game two, making his 15th start of the season. Eovaldi is 6-7 with a 4.23 ERA in 87.1 innings this season, and he'll face Padres veteran right-hander Walker Buehler, who enters play with a 4-3 record and a 4.14 ERA. Texas designated hitter Joc Pederson is a lifetime .273 hitter with one home run in 11 career at-bats against Buehler. The Rangers will celebrate day two of Mexican Heritage weekend at Globe Life Field, with festivities featuring performances by México en La Sangre and a post-game celebration from 5-7 p.m. Former Rangers infielder Steve Buechele will sign autographs for the first 225 fans in line at the New Era Alumni Alley stand. And the Rangers will don their new red “Tejas” City Connect uniforms for the first time on a Saturday. But the team's focus will be on picking up a much-needed series win, as they sit just two games back of first place in the American League West despite their 36-39 record. So the pressure is on Eovaldi to deliver a strong performance, and the Rangers hitters will need to come through against Buehler. The game is scheduled to start at 3:05 p.m. CST, and fans can watch on Rangers Sports Network or listen on 105.3 The Fan. The Rangers are just a game and a half back of the AL’s final Wild Card spot, making this series a crucial one for their playoff hopes. Eovaldi's last start was a solid one, as he went seven innings and allowed just six hits and three runs in a 6-4 Rangers victory over the Boston Red Sox. He'll look to build on that performance and help the Rangers take a big step forward in the standings.