Nathan Eovaldi exits with injury, but Rangers still blank Nats

Nathan Eovaldi pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings to help lead the Texas Rangers to a 6-0 win over the visiting Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.

Eovaldi (2-2) allowed just two hits and two walks and struck out eight batters. After 92 pitches, Eovaldi was removed due to an apparent lower-body injury, but he led Texas to its third win in its last four games. Jonah Heim went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs Travis Jankowski plated a pair of runs for Texas.

The Nationals managed just four hits, with Luis Garcia's double the only extra-base hit.

The Rangers got on the board first in the home half of the second. Heim laced a one-out single, followed by Josh H. Smith's walk. Washington starter Mitchell Parker then got Wyatt Langford to strike out before yielding a run-scoring double to Ezequiel Duran, giving Texas a 1-0 advantage.

The next batter was Evan Carter, who drove in Smith on a single. Marcus Semien pushed the Rangers lead to 3-0 after his RBI single -- the third consecutive Texas run-scoring hit.

Washington threatened in the top of the third, as CJ Abrams hit a two-out double followed by Nick Senzel's walk. Eovaldi escaped the inning, striking out Garcia.

Eovaldi retired the next seven Washington batters before Senzel reached on another walk in the top of the sixth. After throwing a strike to Garcia, Eovaldi left due to injury and was replaced by Jacob Latz.

Upon entering, Latz struck out Garcia and got Joey Meneses to ground out to third.

Texas' Adolis Garcia led off the bottom of the sixth with a single before Heim drew an eight-pitch walk. Parker then struck out Smith, but was pulled for Washington reliever Jacob Barnes.

Parker (2-1) allowed six hits and three runs through 5 1/3 innings. The rookie struck out five and walked a pair. Barnes got Langford to ground into a forceout and Jankowksi to line out, ending the sixth.

For the Rangers, Latz pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 frames before being replaced by David Robertson, who also threw a scoreless 1 1/3.

In the bottom of the eighth, Nathaniel Lowe walked to lead off against Washington reliever Matt Barnes. Adolis Garcia then struck out, but Lowe stole second and then scored the fourth Texas run on Heim's RBI single.

Barnes struck out Langford, but he gave up a two-run single to Jankowski, which closed the scoring.