Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
TEX	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	9	0
TOR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	4	9	0

Eovaldi (7-7, 4.24 ERA) gets the ball for Game 2 of this four-game set opposite Patrick Corbin (2-3, 4.73 ERA), a matchup where the mound edge tilts hard toward the visitors. Eovaldi was sharp in his last outing — 6 innings, 3 earned runs, 9 strikeouts against San Diego — while Corbin burned through 101 pitches to record just 11 outs against the Cubs on June 20. The underlying numbers aren't kind to Corbin either: opponents were hitting .290 against him with a strikeout rate barely above 15% as of mid-June.

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FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Rangers(39-42)

WLLWW

5

-1.5+163+104o8.5+104

Blue Jays(39-42)

LLLWP

4

+1.5-170-106u8.5-108

Best BetRangers -115

Pregame

The moneyline is essentially a coin flip at -109, but the Rangers carry a real edge into this one. Eovaldi is coming off a 9-strikeout outing and faces a Blue Jays lineup that has been inconsistent all month. Corbin's recent numbers — opponents hitting .290 against him, barely getting through 3 innings in his last start — make Texas a reasonable lean at near-even money.

Both clubs sit at 39-42, which is about as underwhelming as it sounds, but the momentum arrows are pointed in completely opposite directions. The Blue Jays just dropped 2 of 3 to Houston at home, then gave up the series opener Thursday when Joc Pederson's leadoff homer, Wyatt Langford's 3-run blast, and Jake Burger's 2-run shot put Texas up 6-0 through 3 innings — all 3 off Kevin Gausman. Toronto's rotation is in rough shape beyond tonight: Jose Berrios is done for the year after Tommy John surgery, Bowden Francis is on the 60-day IL with an elbow issue, and Max Scherzer flew to Dallas on Friday to get a cortisone shot in his back rather than line up for a rotation slot.

Nathan Eovaldi

(9-7)·4.04 ERA

Jun 21 vs Padres

W

6.0IP

3ER

9K

1BB

94P

06/26 Lineup

Patrick Corbin

(3-4)·5.07 ERA

Jun 20 @ Cubs

ND

3.2IP

3ER

4K

3BB

101P

06/26 Lineup

Texas Rangers

(39-42)

Jun 25W@ Blue Jays6-5

Jun 24L@ Marlins2-4

Jun 23L@ Marlins4-6

Jun 22W@ Marlins4-3

Jun 21Wvs Padres4-3

Toronto Blue Jays

(39-42)

Jun 25Lvs Rangers5-6

Jun 24Lvs Astros1-3

Jun 23Lvs Astros7-9

Jun 22Wvs Astros4-2

Jun 21P@ Cubs0-0

Kazuma Okamoto's 18th homer — a 2-run shot off Jacob Latz in the ninth — made it a 1-run game Thursday night and he has been the 1 legitimately dangerous bat in this Toronto lineup all month. The Blue Jays' season is starting to look like a recurring pattern: 1 hot hitter carrying the load while a depleted rotation cycles through arms that can't stay in games. Corbin, at 36 years old, is averaging under 5 innings per start recently. That puts real pressure on a bullpen that's already been overworked in a season full of rotation injuries.

Texas Rangers

(14)

• Day-To-DaySebastian Walcott (SS) — Walcott (elbow) will begin to ramp up his activity soon and is still on track for a late-July or early-August return to a minor-league affiliate, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.06/17
• 10-Day-ILEvan Carter (CF) — Carter (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment Friday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.06/25
• 10-Day-ILCody Freeman (3B) — The Rangers placed Freeman on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a herniated disc.06/25
• 10-Day-ILDanny Jansen (C) — Jansen (forearm) was able to throw out to 60 feet Saturday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.06/22
• 15-Day-ILJack Leiter (SP) — Leiter underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove a loose body from his right ankle region Tuesday and should be considered out indefinitely, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.06/23
• 15-Day-ILJalen Beeks (RP) — Beeks (2-1) earned the win in relief Saturday against the Cubs after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out one with no hits or walks allowed.06/11
• 15-Day-ILChris Martin (RP) — The Rangers placed Martin on the 15-day injured list Monday with a right shoulder impingement.06/01
• OutDeclan Cronin (RP) — Cronin (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Rangers on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.05/08
• OutNabil Crismatt (SP) — Crismatt will undergo surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILJordan Montgomery (SP) — Montgomery (elbow) allowed one hit and struck out a batter over a scoreless inning in a rehab start for Double-A Frisco on Sunday.06/22
• 60-Day-ILMichael Helman (CF) — Texas transferred Helman (hand) to the 60-day injured list Friday.06/19
• 60-Day-ILRobert Garcia (RP) — The Rangers transferred Garcia (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.06/01
• 60-Day-ILCarter Baumler (RP) — Baumler (intercostal) has been shut down from his rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.05/23
• 60-Day-ILCody Bradford (SP) — Bradford (elbow) began throwing from 60 feet during the Rangers' most recent homestand, MLB.com reports05/10

Toronto Blue Jays

(12)

• Day-To-DayGeovanny Jesus Planchart (C) — no05/08
• Day-To-DayChay Yeager (RP) — Yeager will undergo season-ending UCL surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.05/08
• 10-Day-ILAddison Barger (RF) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Barger (elbow) will fly back to Toronto soon to be examined by the medical staff before potentially beginning a rehab assignment, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.06/24
• 10-Day-ILLenyn Sosa (2B) — Sosa (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment Monday with the Blue Jays' Arizona Complex League affiliate, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.06/22
• 15-Day-ILMax Scherzer (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Scherzer (back) will travel to Dallas on Friday to get a cortisone shot to "help alleviate some left side stuff," Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/25
• developmental listFernando Perez (P)
• 60-Day-ILYimi Garcia (RP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Garcia (elbow) remains in a holding pattern due to neck and biceps nerve symptoms, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/25
• 60-Day-ILAnthony Santander (RF) — Santander (shoulder) could resume hitting within the next week, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/18
• 60-Day-ILJoe Mantiply (RP) — Mantiply will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair some damage in his left knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.06/04
• 60-Day-ILJose Berrios (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Berrios underwent full Tommy John surgery Wednesday in addition to having a stress fracture repaired, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.05/27
• 60-Day-ILCody Ponce (SP) — Ponce underwent surgery Friday to repair the ACL in his right knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILBowden Francis (SP) — The Blue Jays placed Francis (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08

Texas has its own walking-wounded situation — Jack Leiter is out indefinitely after ankle surgery, Evan Carter just started an oblique rehab assignment, and the rotation depth behind Eovaldi is thin — but none of that affects tonight. Eovaldi is a veteran arm that gives this Rangers club a genuine chance to take the first 2 in a series they clearly need. The lineup just showed it can blow a game open against quality pitching in the early innings. If Corbin gives up a crooked number early here, this one could be mostly decided before Toronto's bullpen even gets warm.